BX  8065  .G4  1917 
Gerberding,  G,  H.  1847-1927 
The  way  of  salvation  in  the 
Lutheran  church 


THE 

WAY  OF  SALVATION 

IN 

The  Lutheran  Church 


BY 


G.  H.  GERBERDING,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

PROPBSSOR  IN  CHICAGO  SBMINARY  OF  THE  BVANGBLICAI.  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 
MAYWOOD,  ILL. 


WRITTEN  FOR  THE  COMMON  PEOPLE 


ALSO  FOR  USE  IN  LUTHER  LEAGUES,  ADULT 
BIBLE  AND  CATECHETICAL  CLASSES 

PREFACE 

By 
M.  RHODES,  D.D. 

REFORMATION  JUBILEE  EDITION 


THIRTY-SECOND  THOUSAND 
REVISED.  IMPROVED  AND  ENLARGED 


PHILADELPHIA.  PA. 


COPTEIQHT,   1917 
BY 

G.  H.  GERBERDING. 

ALL  BIGHTS  BESEBVED 


TO 

THE    UNITED    ENGLISH    LUTHERAN    CHUECH 

OF   THE   future; 

JOINED  TOGETHER  IN  THE  BONDS  OF  ONE  FAITH,  ACTUATED 

BY  ONE  SPIRIT,  WORKING  HAND  IN  HAND  AND  HEART 

WITH    HEART   IN    ONE   GENERAL   BODY,   THIS 

BOOK  IS  HOPEFULLY  DEDICATED 

BY 

THE  AUTHOR 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/wayofsalvationinOOgerb 


CONTENTS 


PAOK 

Intboduction    9 

Preface  20 

prefatoey  scripture  passages   23 

CHAPTER  I. 
All  are  Sinners 25 

CHAPTER  II. 
All  that  is  Born  of  the  Flesh  must  be  Born  of  the  Spirit. .  31 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Present,  a  Dispensation  of  Means 38 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Baptism,  a  Divinely  Instituted  Means  of  Grace 45 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Baptismal  Covenant  can  be  kept  unbroken — Aim 
and  Responsibility  of  Parents 53 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Home  Influence  and  Traning  in  their  Relation  to  the 
Keeping  of  the  Baptismal  Covenant 60 

V 


VI  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Sunday  School  in  its  Relation  to  the  Baptized 
Children  of  Christian  Parents    67 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Sunday  School — Its  relation  to  those  in  Covenant 
Relationship  with  Christ,  and  also  to  the  Unbap- 
tized  and  Wandering 75 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Catechisation 81 

CHAPTER  X. 
Contents,    Arrangement    and    Excellence    of    Luther's 
Small  Catechism  87 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Manner  and  Object  of  Teaching  Luther's  Catechism. ....  94 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Confirmation  101 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Lord's   Supper — Preliminary  Observations    109 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Lord's  Supper,  Continued  115 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Lord's  Supper,  Concluded 121 


CONTENTS  VU 

FAGK 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Preparatory   Service,   Sometimes  Called   the  Con- 
fessional Service  132 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Word  as  a  Means  of  Grace 142 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Conversion — Its  Nature  and  Necessity  151 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Conversion — ^Varied  Phenomena  or  Experiences 158 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Conversion — ^Human  Agency 167 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Justification    176 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Sanctiflcation 187 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Revivals 197 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Modern  Revivals  207 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Modern  Revivals,  Continued 217 


VIU  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Modern  Revivals,  Concluded    226 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Revivals — The  Billy  Sunday  Type  237 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
True  Revivals 242 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Conclusion 257 

The  Reformation  Church   265 

Guide  Questions   269 

Index   275 


INTRODUCTORY 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BOOK. 

IT  is  thirty  years  since  we  began  to  write  what 
grew  into  The  Way  of  Salvation  in  The 
Lutheran  Church. 

We  have  been  asked  again  and  again  how  we 
came  to  write  the  book. 

In  sending  forth  this  new,  revised  and  en- 
larged Jubilee  Edition,  which  is  the  thirty- 
second  thousand,  we  comply  with  the  request 
and  briefly  tell  the  story. 

The  Author  had  grown  up  in  a  non-Lutheran 
community.  None  of  his  companions  were  Lu- 
therans. His  father,  a  plain  German  farmer,  was 
a  devout  Lutheran.  He  helped  to  organize  the 
first  German  Lutheran  Church  in  Pittsburgh. 
He  preferred  the  German.  As  the  children 
grew  up  in  the  public  school  they  were  among 
those  who  talked  and  thought  and  played  and 
dreamed  in  English.  The  wise  father  saw  that 
to  keep  the  children  in  the  Lutheran  Church  it 
was  better  that  the  parents  unite  with  an  Eng- 

ix 


X  INTKODUCTION 

lish  Church.  They  therefore  united  with  the 
First  English  Lutheran  Church  of  Pittsburgh 
when  the  Eev.  Reuben  Hill  was  pastor,  who 
afterwards  confirmed  the  Author  of  this  book. 
Before  that,  father  had  occasionally  worshipped 
there  under  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Passavant,  and  then 
under  the  Rev.  C.  P.  Krauth.  Neither  of  these 
promising  young  ministers  was  a  doctor  then. 

We  lived  over  four  miles  distant  from  the 
Church  and  there  were  not  even  horse-car  lines. 
So  we  children  could  not  go  to  the  Lutheran 
Sunday  School.  We  attended  a  Methodist  and 
a  Union  Sunday  School.  There  the  writer 
learned  to  understand  the  spirit  and  the  diverse 
teaching  of  the  Reformed  Churches.  He  saw 
their  good  side,  as  well  as  their  weaknesses. 
He  met  some  beautiful  Christian  characters 
there  who  had  a  blessed  influence  over  him. 
Some  of  the  impressions  for  good  that  were  then 
received  abide  to  this  day.  Had  his  father  not 
gone  into  an  English  speaking  Lutheran  Church 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  the  writer  would  have 
united  with  one  of  the  Reformed  denomina- 
tions, for  whose  people  he  cherished  such  a 
high  regard. 

Had  he  gone  to  a  Reformed  or  State  College, 
he  probably  would  not  have  become  a  Lutheran 
minister.  But  he  went  to  Thiel  Hall  where  he 
came  under  the  personal  influence  of  the 
founder  of  the  school,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Passavant, 


INTRODUCTION"  XI 

who  was  a  frequent  visitor,  and  whose  prayers, 
talks  and  sermons  he  can  never  forget.*  There 
he  was  influenced  for  the  ministry  by  the  Eev. 
H.  E.  Jacobs,  then  a  young  man.  Later  on  at 
Muhlenberg  College  he  was  specially  impressed 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  and  at  Philadel- 
phia Seminary  by  Drs.  C.  F.  and  C.  W.  Schaef- 
fer,  Drs.  Spaeth,  Krauth,  and  especially  by  Dr. 
Mann. 

During  his  student  vacations  he  worked  un- 
der Dr.  Passavant,  supplying  congregations 
which  the  doctor  had  founded.  He  became  the 
doctor's  successor  at  McKees  Rocks,  and 
through  his  encouragement  founded  Mount  Zion 
Church,  the  Church  at  Pine  Creek  and  also 
started  the  movement  for  Memorial  English 
Lutheran  Church. 

Then  he  accepted  a  call  to  a  country  charge 
in  Harrison  County,  Ohio.  Here  he  found  the 
old-fashioned,  wild,  mourners-bench,  revivalism 
in  full  sway.  The  revival  leaders  had  become 
very  bold,  had  publicly  denounced  the  Luther- 
ans as  sad  examples  of  spiritual  deadness  and 
often  prayed  in  public  that  these  Lutherans  also 
might  *'get  religion."  Many  of  our  Lutheran 
people  were  uneasy,  disturbed,  confused,  apolo- 
getic and  timidly  hoped  that  they  might  still 
be  saved,  even  as  Lutherans. 

These  things  deeply  grieved  the  writer.    He 

♦See  Life  and  Letters  of  Passavant,  p.  501  ff. 


XU  INTRODUCTION 

became  indignant  and  protested  against  the 
phariseeism  and  unfairness  of  Ms  religious 
neighbors.  He  wrote  a  rather  scathing  article 
against  False  Revivalism,  describing  its  scenes 
and  fruits  as  they  had  come  to  his  knowledge, 
for  Dr.  Passavant's  paper,  The  Workman. 
That  copy  of  The  Workman  was  passed  from 
home  to  home  in  Harrison  County  and  agitated 
the  whole  community.  A  scurrilous  reply,  full 
of  personal  abuse,  was  published  in  a  local 
paper.  To  this  we  wrote  a  quiet  answer  for 
the  same  paper.  We  appealed  for  fair  play 
and  invited  our  opponents  to  private  or  public 
discussion  in  a  Christian  spirit.  That  ended 
the  controversy  and  revivals  after  that  were 
never  again  so  wild  or  abusive  of  those  Chris- 
tians who  did  their  church  work  in  a  more 
quiet,  instructive  and  scriptural  way. 

The  writer  of  this  had  been  made  to  see 
that  what  his  own  people  and  Lutherans  in 
general  needed  was  a  more  clear  understand- 
ing of  The  Way  of  Salvation  as  set  forth  in 
the  Scriptures  and  as  held  by  the  Lutheran 
Church.  After  much  thought  and  prayer  he 
began  to  write  a  series  of  articles  for  The 
Workman,  which  was  read  by  nearly  all  the 
families  in  his  congregations. 

These  articles,  covering  over  a  yearns  time 
in  the  paper,  met  with  a  kind  and  favorable 
reception  all  over  the   Church.     A  Lutheran 


INTRODUCTION  Xlll 

consciousness,  such  as  had  never  prevailed 
before,  was  awakened  and  strengthened  in  his 
parish.  The  Lutheran  Church  was  no  longer 
scorned  as  a  church  unsound  in  teaching  and 
devoid  of  life. 

Requests  came  to  the  writer  to  have  the  suc- 
cession of  articles  published  in  book  form. 
The  Eev.  A.  Ramsey  offered  a  resolution  in 
the  Southern  Conference  of  the  Pittsburgh 
Synod,  that  the  author  be  requested  to  publish 
the  articles  in  book  form.  The  Eastern  Con- 
ference did  likewise.  Others  followed;  and  so 
he  was  persuaded  to  publish  the  book. 

He  had  one  thousand  copies  bound  and  as 
many  more  published  in  sheets  and  left  un- 
bound. Some  of  his  friends  thought  him 
overly  sanguine  in  having  so  many  bound,  and 
as  many  more  ready  to  bind.  It  was  not  long 
till  the  bound  edition  was  sold.  The  sheets 
were  bound  and  they  also  were  soon  sold  out. 

Some  revisions  were  made  and  the  type  had 
to  be  set  up  again — this  time  in  electro-plates. 
Since  then  editions  of  a  thousand  each  have 
rapidly  succeeded  one  another  at  the  rate  of 
more  than  a  thousand  books  a  year.  Among 
American  Lutheran  books  it  has  been  the 
best  seller.  It  has  been  translated  into  Ger- 
man and  had  a  good  circulation  in  Germany. 
The  writer  has  been  informed  that  it  had  a 
good  influence  there  in  giving  the  American 


XIV  INTEODUCTION 

Lutheran  Church  recognition  and  standing. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  Norwegian  translation 
—permission  for  which  was  requested  that  it 
might  be  used  to  combat  the  proseletizing  of 
Lutherans  in  Norway.  We  have  not  been  in- 
formed of  the  influence  of  the  Swedish  trans- 
lation in  Sweden.  We  hope  it  is  doing  a  like 
good  work  there.  Permission  for  a  transla- 
tion into  Tamil  was  requested  and  is  in  pro- 
gress if  not  finished  at  this  writng.  Parts 
have  been  translated  into  Telugu,  Japanese 
and  Yiddish. 


ACHIEVEMENTS   OP   THE   BOOK 

The  Book  has  been  instrumental  in  winning 
scores  of  non-Lutheran  for  our  Church  and 
faith. 

Before  us  lies  a  letter  from  one  of  the  most 
useful  and  active  pastors  of  the  Augustana 
Synod.  He  informs  us  that  their  Book  Con- 
cern published  six  thousand  copies  in  Swedish 
and  then  as  many  more.  He  says  in  conclu- 
sion: **  Think  how  many  forlorn  children  of 
our  Church  have  been  awakened  by  reading 
The  Way  of  Salvation  in  The  Lutheran 
Church. ' ' 

One  of  our  most  successful  pastors  in  the 
Chicago  Synod  writes:  *'I  owe  you  a  great 
debt  of  gratitude  for  the  help  that  the  little 


INTRODUCTION  XV 

book  has  been  to  me  in  my  work.  The  instances 
of  people  coming  from  other  denominations 
into  our  Church  are  many.  The  book  is  con- 
stantly used  in  preparing  them  for  membership. 
We  keep  a  battery  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen  in 
action  most  of  the  time.  The  prospective  mem- 
bers read  it  as  a  basis  of  the  instruction  which 
I  give  privately  from  time  to  time.  Many  buy 
the  book  for  themselves.  They  lend  their  books 
to  friends  and  neighbors.  I  am  about  to  receive 
two  members  from  the  M.  E.  Church,  who  read 
the  book,  loaned  by  a  neighbor,  one  of  our 
Councilmen.  No  small  part  of  the  increase  of 
over  three  hundred  per  cent,  since  I  came  here, 
I  am  certain,  is  due  to  the  influence  of  The  Way 
of  Salvation.  I  recently  attended  the  funeral 
of  a  child  in  a  church  of  another  denomination. 
The  preacher  spoke  like  a  Lutheran  on  Grace 
through  the  means  of  Grace.  When  I  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  these  ideas  he  answered:  *I 
am  no  stranger  to  the  Lutheran  faith  for  I  read 
and  re-read  The  Way  of  Salvation  by  Dr.  G.  It 
helps  to  keep  me  straight  on  the  Bible  way  of 
Salvation.*  '* 

A  prominent  Doctor  in  the  Wartburg  Synod 
of  the  General  Synod  writes:  *'In  my  experi- 
ence as  a  pastor  I  can  refer  to  many  cases 
where  people  have  found  their  way  into  the 
Lutheran  Church  by  reading  your  convincing 


XVI  INTRODUCTION- 

discussion.  I  used  the  book  successfully  in  the 
instruction  of  Roman  Catholics." 

An  active  pastor  of  the  Joint  Synod  of  Ohio 
writes:  **I  have  circulated  over  one  hundred 
copies.  Have  used  it  for  the  instruction  of 
about  twenty-five  adults  who  have  come  into  our 
Church  from  other  denominations. ' ' 

And  here  we  might  say  that  we  get  many  or- 
ders for  the  book  to  be  used  in  Adult  Cate- 
chetical and  Bible  Classes,  as  also  for  Confir- 
mation gifts.  One  Augustana  pastor  has  been 
sending  for  fifty  or  more  copies  annually  for  a 
number  of  years.  One  in  the  Synod  of  the 
Northwest  has  done  likewise.  A  pastor  who 
gives  out  these  books,  properly  inscribed,  at  his 
last  meeting  with  his  class,  never  loses  any- 
thing and  certainly  gains  in  the  joy  of  seeing 
more  of  his  catechumens  remain  firm  and  grow 
in  their  Lutheran  and  spiritual  consciousness. 

A  successful  young  pastor  in  the  General 
Synod  informs  us  that  through  the  book  he 
has  won  Immersionists  and  Eoman  Catholics 
into  his  Church. 

Another  brother,  highly  esteemed  for  his 
work's  sake  and  prominent  in  the  Pittsburgh 
Synod,  writes:  ''There  is  something  strange 
about  that  book.  It  slips  away  from  me.  I  had 
a  kind  of  a  circulating  library.  I  loaned  'Sal- 
vations' to  different  people,  but  they  never 
come  back.    Hope  they  are  still  circulating. ' ' 


INTRODUCTION  XVII 

**Tlie  one  true  revival  that  I  had  was  in  a 
country  parish  in  Ohio.  One  of  the  congrega- 
tions, now  a  part  of  that  parish,  with  a  Church 
of  its  own,  was  brought  into  being  through  the 
direct  influence  of  that  wonderful  book.  It 
was  a  Methodist  center  where  one  or  two  high 
pressure  revivals  were  worked  up  a  year.  The 
Methodist  was  the  only  church  in  the  commun- 
ity before  our  mission  was  organized.  There 
were  a  number  of  level-headed  people  in  the 
community  who  did  their  own  thinking.  They 
sought  satisfaction  in  the  M.  E.  Church,  but 
their  questionings  were  not  answered.  Others 
wanted  a  church-home  but  could  not  be  dra- 
gooned into  the  revival-holiness  church.  They 
wanted  instruction,  knowledge,  clearness  first 
and  then  assent  and  confidence. 

' '  The  Way  of  Salvation  was  circulated  among 
these  people.  They  studied  it,  discussed  it, 
absorbed  it,  found  satisfaction  and  loved  it  be- 
cause they  had  gotten  an  answer  to  so  many 
questions  that  had  never  been  answered  in  the 
other  church.  One  good  Christian  woman  of 
over  three-score  years  who  had  been  of  the  M. 
E.  persuasion  all  her  life  told  me,  after  reading 
the  book,  that  now  she  had  found  that  for  which 
she  had  been  hungering  in  our  doctrine  of  the 
Sacraments. 

*'We  held  services  and  Sunday  School  in  the 
schoolhouse.    On  one  Sunday  I  baptized  twenty- 


XVlll  INTRODXJCTIOlSr 

two ;  fathers  and  mothers  standing  side  by  side 
with  their  children.  These  Lutherans  now  have 
a  neat  little  church  of  their  own. 

*'I  attribute  much  of  my  success  there  to  your 
book.  It  certainly  was  a  great  Lutheran  mis- 
sionary in  that  region.  In  that  high-pressure, 
holiness  community  it  did  bring  many  people 
into  The  Way  of  Salvation.  It  was  a  source  of 
much  joy  to  me  to  see  its  blessed  influence." 

"We  might  add  many  more  testimonies.  But 
enough!  To  write  down  these  might  look  like 
boasting.  But,  truly,  we  do  not  mean  it  so.  We 
have  long  had  a  conviction — it  grows  with  the 
years — that  true  Lutheranism  is  the  Gospel, 
that  it  is  good  for  men,  women  and  children  of 
all  classes  and  conditions.  We  verily  believe 
that  where  it  is  presented  plainly,  warmly,  out 
of  a  heart  that  daily  experiences  its  peace  and 
blessedness,  it  commends  itself.  We  believe 
that  wherever  such  a  presentation  gets  an  un- 
prejudiced hearing  there  it  will  win.  What  we 
have  written  above  is  a  living  and  speaking 
demonstration  of  this  fact.  We  have  written 
down  these  things  in  order  to  hearten,  encour- 
age and  strengthen  the  brethren. 

We  Lutherans  have  a  good  message.  There 
is  none  better.  It  is  with  this  conviction  and 
for  the  furtherance  of  this  saving  and  satisfy- 
ing truth  that  we  send  forth  this  Jubilee  Edi- 
tion. 


INTRODUCTION-  XIX 

We  have  gone  over  every  page  with  care. 
Here  and  there  we  corrected  expressions,  elim- 
inated unnecessary  words,  added  words,  clauses 
and  sentences  to  make  the  sense  more  clear  or 
the  argument  more  forcible.  In  a  few  places 
we  added  paragraphs. 

A  number  of  foot-notes  have  been  added. 

The  larger  additions  have  been,  first,  this 
Introductory  and  second  a  number  of  pages 
and  a  new  Chapter  on  Revivals. 

We  thought  the  latter  additions  advisable  be- 
cause the  methods  and  spirit  of  present-day 
Evangelism  differ  widely  from  those  of  the  re- 
vivalism in  vogue  when  we  first  wrote  the  book. 
It  is  our  hope  that  these  additions  may  be  help- 
ful toward  a  clearer  understanding  of  profes- 
sional Evangelism  as  it  confronts  us  today. 

We  also  add  a  number  of  Review  Questions 
for  the  use  of  Leagues,  Societies,  Brotherhoods 
and  Adult  Classes,  and  a  Topical  Index. 

May  this  Jubilee  Edition,  and  its  successors, 
be  a  potent  voice  for  God  and  for  good  in  this 
wilderness  of  sin  and  error.  May  it  help  to 
bring  our  dear  Church,  so  often  misunderstood 
and  misrepresented,  into  her  own  in  this  doubt- 
ing and  drifting  land  of  our  love. 


PREFACE 


I  TAKE  pleasure  in  commending  this  unpreten- 
tious volume  to  the  prayerful  attention  of  all 
English-speaking  ministers  and  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  The  aim  of  the  author  is  to 
present  a  clear,  concise,  and  yet  as  comprehen- 
sive a  view  as  possible,  of  the  way  of  salvation 
as  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  and  held  by  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  That  he  has  accomplished  his 
task  so  as  to  make  it  throughout  an  illustration 
of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  a  correct  testi- 
mony to  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  which  he  is 
an  honored  minister,  I  believe  will  appear  to  all 
who  read  with  an  unbiased  mind,  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  sources  of  information  from  which 
he  has  drawn.  There  is  always  need  for  such 
a  candid  and  considerate  statement  of  funda- 
mental truth  as  this.  The  signs  of  the  times 
clearly  indicate  that  there  is  no  security  for 
the  Church  save  in  maintaining  the  Apostolic 
faith  and  spirit — not  the  one  without  the  other, 
but  the  one  with  the  other.  The  supremacy  of 
the  Scriptures  needs  to  be  recognized  with  a 
mightier  emphasis,  not  only  of  the  intellect,  but 

XX 


PREFACE  XXi 

also  of  the  heart.  This  vital  conjunction  is 
maintained  in  this  book.  I  am  certain  that  a 
clear  view  of  the  way  of  salvation  as  taught  by 
the  Scriptures  and  held  by  the  Church  will  go 
far  not  only  toward  correcting  wrong  impres- 
sions, but  will  tend  to  the  relief  of  much  mental 
perplexity,  and  to  the  increase  of  that  much- 
needed  spirit  of  unity  throughout  our  Church, 
the  want  of  which  is  not  only  the  greatest 
reflection  on  her  noble  history  and  holy  faith, 
but  the  greatest  hindrance  to  her  important 
mission.  A  kindly  Christ-like  spirit  pervades 
this  book,  which  is  no  small  testimony  to  its 
worth. 

Those  who  stand  up  for  the  truth  do  not 
always  illustrate  its  spirit.  Not  all  who  might 
desire  greater  unity  in  the  Church  are  qualified 
to  promote  it.  The  author  of  this  little  treatise 
has  not  only  manifested  the  proper  spirit,  but 
he  has  shown  as  well  the  faculty  of  using  it  for 
the  increase  of  harmony,  without  the  least  dis- 
loyalty to  the  Scriptures,  or  to  the  standards 
of  the  Church.  The  appeal  throughout  is  to 
the  Word  of  God.  The  faith  of  the  Church  is 
subjected  to  this  test,  and  it  is  maintained  be- 
cause it  endures  the  test. 

These  chapters  present  a  continuity  of 
thought  which  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  in 
the  reading.  In  order  to  get  a  correct  verdict, 
they  should  not  be  read  with  such  discrimina- 


XXll  PEEFACE 

tion  as  would  accept  some  and  reject  others, 
but  from  the  first  to  the  last  in  order.  That 
this  little  book  may  be  owned  of  God  to  the 
establishment  of  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  for  the  promotion  of  a  more  mani- 
fest unity  among  those  who  bear  her  name,  is 
a  prayer  in  which  I  am  sure  many  will  join  the 
author  of  this  work,  and  the  writer  of  this  in- 
troductory note. 

M.  RHODES. 

President  of  the  General  Synod 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  March,  1887. 


Prefatory  Scripture  Passages 


To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testmony;  if  they  speak  not 
according  to  this  Word,  it  is  "because  there  is  no  light 
in  them. — Isa.  viii.  20. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord;  Stand  ye  in  the  ways,  and  see,  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way  and  walk 
therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls. — Jer.  vi.  16. 

That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and 
fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 
sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they  lie 
in  wait  to  deceive.  But  speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may 
grow  up  into  Him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  Head,  even 
Christ. — Eph.  iv.  14. 

Be  not  carried  about  loith  divers  and  strange  doctrines; 
for  it  is  a  good  thing  that  the  heart  be  established  with 
grace. — Heb.  xiii.  9. 

Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and  unto  the  doctrine;  continue 
in  them,  for  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save  thyself  and 
them  that  hear  thee. — I  Tim.  iv.  16. 

Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast 
heard  of  me,  in  faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. — 
2  Tim.  i.  13. 

And  be  ready  always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man 
that  asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you,  with 
meekness  and  fear. — I  Pet.  iii.  15. 

Beloved,  when  I  gave  all  diligence  to  write  unto  you  of 
the  common  salvation,  it  was  needful  for  me  to  write  unto 
you,  and  exhort  you  that  ye  should  earnestly  contend  for 
the  faith,  which  was  once  delivered  unto  the  saints. — 
Jude  3. 

xxiii 


XXIV  PEEFATOEY  SCEIPTUEE  PASSAGES 

For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not  endure  sound 
doctrine;  but  after,  their  own  lusts  they  shall  heap  to 
themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears;  and  they  shall 
turn  their  ears  away  from  the  truth,  and  shall  be  turned 
unto  fables. — 2  Tim.  iv.  3,  4. 

Whosoever  transgresseth,  and  abideth  not  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  hath  not  God.  lie  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  he  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  If  there 
come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive 
him  not  into  your  house,  neither  bid  him  God-speed.  For 
he  that  biddeth  him  God-speed  is  partaker  of  his  evil 
deeds.— 2  John  9,  10,  11. 

For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of 
the  Prophecy  of  this  book,  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these 
things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written 
in  this  book;  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away  from  the 
words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away 
his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city, 
and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in  thds  book. — ^Rev. 
xxii.  18,  19. 


THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 


CHAPTER  I. 

All  Are  Sinners. 

WE  often  have  heard  from  persons  who 
should  have  known  better,  remarks  some- 
thing like  these:  ''I  wonder  how  sinners  are 
saved  in  the  Lutheran  Church f  ''I  do  not 
hear  of  any  being  converted  in  the  Lutheran 
Church."  More  than  once  was  the  remark 
made  in  our  hearing  that  in  certain  churches 
sinners  were  saved,  because  converted  and 
sanctified,  while  it  was  at  least  doubtful  whether 
any  one  could  find  such  blessings  in  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  The  writer  also  freely  con- 
fesses, that  in  his  early  days,  surrounded  by 
such  unsettling  influences,  ^'his  feet  had  well- 
nigh  slipped — his  steps  were  almost  gone." 
Therefore,  he  can  sympathize  with  those  honest 
questioners,  who  have  not  had  the  privileges  of 
instruction  in  the  doctrines  of  sin  and  Grace, 
and  who  are-  consequently  in  the  dark.  This 
determined  him  to  write  a  series  of  plain,  prac- 

25 


26  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

tical  papers  on  the  "Way  of  Salvation  in  the 
Lutheran  Church. ' '  It  was  his  endeavor  to  set 
forth  the  manner  and  method  through  which 
the  Church  of  the  Eeformation  proposes  to 
reach  the  sinner,  and  apply  to  him  the  redemp- 
tion that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  first  question  that  presents  itself  is: 
Who  are  the  subjects  of  salvation!  The  answer 
clearly  is :  All  who  need  to  be  saved.  Whom 
does  this  embrace?  The  answer  to  this  is  not 
so  unanimous.  The  views  diverge.  True,  there 
is  quite  a  substantial  harmony  on  this  point, 
among  all  the  older  Protestant  Confessions, 
but  the  harmony  is  not  so  manifest  among 
the  professed  adherents  of  these  Confessions. 

In  many  of  the  denominations  there  is  a  wide- 
spread skepticism  as  to  the  reality  of  original 
sin,  or  native  depravity.  Doubtless  on  this 
point  the  wish  is  father  to  the  thought.  The 
doctrine  that,  ''after  Adam's  fall,  all  men  be- 
gotten after  the  common  course  of  nature,  are 
born  with  sin,"  is  not  palatable.  It  grates 
harshly  on  the  human  ear.  It  is  so  humbling 
to  the  pride  of  man's  heart,  and  therefore  he 
tries  to  persuade  himself  that  it  is  not  true.  It 
has  become  fashionable  to  deny  it.  From  the 
pulpit,  from  the  press,  from  the  pages  of  our 
most  popular  writers,  we  hear  the  old-fashioned 
doctrine  denounced  as  unworthy  of  this  en- 
lightened age.    Thus  the  heresy  has  spread,  and 


ALL  AEE  SIFNEES  27 

is  spreading.  On  every  hand  we  meet  men  -who 
stand  liigh  in  their  churches,  spurning  the  idea 
that  their  children  are  sinners,  and  need  to  be 
saved.  Their  creed  is :  ' '  I  believe  in  the  purity 
and  innocence  of  childhood,  and  in  its  fitness 
for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  without  any  change 
or  application  of  divine  Grace.''  Ah!  yes,  we 
should  all  like  to  have  this  creed  true.  But  is 
it  true?  If  not,  our  believing  it  will  not  make 
it  true. 

Then  let  us  go  "to  the  law  and  to  the  testi- 
mony;" to  the  source  and  fountain  of  all  truth, 
the  inspired  Word  of  God.  Listen  to  its  sad 
but  plain  statements.  Job  xv.  14:  ''What  is 
man  that  he  should  be  clean?  and  he  which  is 
horn  of  a  woman  that  he  should  he  righteous?'^ 
Ps.  li.  5 :  "Behold  I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,  and 
in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me.'*  John  iii.  6 : 
''That  ivhich  is  horn  of  the  flesh  is  flesh." 
Ephesians  ii.  3:  "Among  whom  also  we  all  .  . 
.  were  hy  nature" — i.  e.  by  birth — "the  chil- 
dren of  wrath  even  as  others."  These  are  a 
few  of  the  many  clear,  plain  statements  of  the 
divine  Word.  Nowhere  does  it  teach  that  chil- 
dren are  born  pure,  righteous  and  fit  for  heaven. 

The  Luthean  Church,  then,  teaches  and  con- 
fesses nothing  but  the  pure  truth  of  God's  Word 
when  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  Article  II., 
she  says :  ' '  Also  they  teach,  that  after  Adam 's 
fall  all  men,  begotten  after  the  common  course 


28  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATIOiST 

of  nature,  are  born  with  sin."  Also  Smalcald 
Articles,  Part  III.,  Article  I:  "Here  we  must 
confess,  that  sin  originated  from  one  man 
Adam,  by  whose  disobedience  all  were  made 
sinners  and  subject  to  death  and  the  devil.  This 
is  called  original  or  capital  sin  .  .  .  This 
hereditary  sin  is  so  deep  a  corruption  of  nature 
that  no  reason  can  understand  it,  but  it  must 
be  believed  from  the  revelation  of  Scripture." 
So  also  in  the  Formula  of  Concord,  Chapter  I., 
*'0f  Original  Sin,"  we  see  a  full  presentation 
of  our  faith  and  its  foundation.  Also  Luther's 
Explanation  of  the  Second  Article  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed,  where  he  says:  "Who — 
Christ — has  redeemed  me,  a  poor,  lost  and  con- 
demned creature,  secured  and  delivered  me 
from  all  sins,  from  death,  and  from  the  power 
of  the  devil." 

This,  then  is  the  teaching  of  our  Church,  as 
founded  on  the  Word  of  God.  That  this  doc- 
trine is  true,  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt, 
we  can  learn  even  from  reason.  It  will  not  be 
disputed  that  what  is  in  the  child  will  show  it- 
self as  it  develops.  The  germs  that  lie  hidden 
there  will  unfold  and  bring  forth  their  proper 
and  natural  fruit.  By  its  fruits  we  can  know 
even  the  child.  And  what  are  these  fruits? 
How  long  will  it  be  before  that  helpless  and 
seemingly  innocent  babe,  that  slumbers  on  its 
mother's  breast,  will  show  symptoms  of  anger, 


ALL.  ARE  SINKERS  29 

jealousy,  stubbornness  and  disobedience?  Let 
that  child  alone,  and,  without  a  teacher,  it  will 
learn  to  lie,  deceive,  steal,  curse  and  give  pain 
to  others.  But,  without  a  teacher,  it  will  not 
learn  to  pray,  confess  wrong,  and  ''fear,  love 
and  trust  in  God  above  all  things."  Are  these 
the  symptoms  and  evidences  of  inward  purity, 
or  of  inbred  sin! 

Again,  that  child  is  subject  to  sickness,  suf- 
fering and  death.  As  soon  as  it  draws  its  first 
breath  its  life  is  a  struggle.  It  must  contend 
against  the  inroads  of  disease.  Its  little  body 
is  attacked  by  dire  maladies.  It  is  weakened  by 
suffering  and  often  racked  by  pain.  And  how 
frequently  the  feeble  life  succumbs  and  the  in- 
fant dies. 

How  can  we  account  for  this  on  the  ground 
of  infant  sinlessness?  Do  we  not  all  believe 
that  suffering  and  death  are  the  results  of  sin? 
Is  there,  can  there  be  suffering  and  death  where 
there  is  no  sin?  No  babe  would  ever  die  if  it 
were  without  sin.  ''The  wages  of  sin  is  death." 
But  this  wages  is  never  exacted  where  the  work 
of  sin  has  not  been  done.  The  conclusion  then 
is  irresistible.  The  child  is  a  sinner.  It  needs 
salvation.  It  must  be  reached  by  saving  Grace. 
It  must  be  counted  in.  It  is  one  of  the  subjects 
of  salvation,  and  must  be  brought  into  the  Way 
of  Salvation. 

The  Church  is  the  Bride  of  Christ,  the  institu- 


30  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tion  through  which  Christ  brings  and  applies 
this  Grace  to  the  children  of  men.  She  must 
begin  with  the  child.  She  must  reach  down  to 
the  tender  infant  and  carry  the  cleansing  and 
life-giving  Grace  of  the  Redeemer  even  into  its 
sin-sick  soul. 

How  is  this  to  be  done?  How  does  the  Lu- 
theran Church  propose  to  reach  that  child? 
Let  us  lay  aside  all  our  own  notions  and  preju- 
dices. Let  us  come  with  an  open  and  an  un- 
biased mind,  ready  to  learn  and  believe  what 
God  teaches  and  what  our  Church  confesses. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ALL  THAT  IS  BORN  OF  THE  FLESH  MUST  BE  BORX  OF 
THE  SPIRIT. 

IN  the  former  chapter  we  have  shown,  from 
Scripture  and  from  reason,  that  our  Church 
teaches  only  the  plain  truth  of  God,  when  she 
confesses  that:  ''After  Adam's  fall,  all  men, 
begotten  after  the  common  course  of  nature, 
are  born  with  sin. ' ' 

As  a  sinful  being  the  new-born  infant  is  not 
in  the  Way  of  Salvation.  By  its  natural  birth, 
from  sinful  parents,  it  is  not  in  the  kingdom  of 
God,  but  in  the  realm  and  under  the  dominion 
of  sin,  death  and  the  devil.  If  left  to  itself— to 
the  undisturbed  development  of  its  own  nature 
—it  must  miserably  and  hopelessly  perish. 
True,  there  is  a  relative  innocence.  The  Apostle 
exhorts:  "Be  ye  followers  of  God,  as  dear 
children.''  "In  malice  he  ye  children.''  Our 
blessed  Saviour,  on  several  occasions,  rebuked 
the  vain  and  ambitious  spirit  of  the  disciples  by 
contrasting  it  mth  the  spirit  of  a  little  child. 
He  said:  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven," 
and  "Except  ye  he  converted,  and  hecome  as 

31 


32  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

little  children,  ye  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

These  passages  are  generally  quoted  by  those 
who  refuse  to  believe  the  doctrine  of  Original 
Sin,  as  though  they  taught  sinlessness  and  nat- 
ural fitness  for  the  kingdom.  But  if  we  accept 
this  interpretation,  then  the  Scriptures  contra- 
dict themselves ;  for  we  have  seen  that,  in  many 
places,  they  clearly  teach  the  opposite.  These 
passages  can  only  mean  that  children  are  rela- 
tively innocent.  Compared  with  the  forbidding, 
haughty,  loveless  disciples,  little  children  are 
much  better  subjects  for  the  kingdom.  While 
the  roots  of  sin  are  there,  that  sin  has  not  yet 
done  its  hardening  work. 

They  do  not  wilfully  resist  the  good.  They 
are  much  more  tender,  docile,  trustful  and  lov- 
ing. The  Grace  of  God  has  less  to  overcome 
in  them.  They  are  more  easily  reached,  and 
thus  are  fit  subjects  to  be  brought  into  the  king- 
dom of  God.  In  this  sense  only  can  it  be  said, 
"Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me," 
that  I  may  touch  them,  bless  them,  impart  my 
Grace  to  them,  and  thus  make  them  partakers 
of  my  kingdom.  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom"  be- 
cause I  desire  and  purpose  to  bring  them  into 
the  kingdom. 

Thus  far  we  can  safely  go.  This  much  in 
favor  of  the  child,  over  against  the  adult,  we 
freely  admit.     But  this  does  not  say  that  the 


THE  NEW  BIKTH  33 

child  is  innocent,  pure  and  holy  by  nature.  The 
undeveloped  roots  and  germs  of  sin  are  still 
there.  Its  nature  is  evil.  It  must  be  saved 
from  that  moral  nature.    How? 

Here  again  we  meet  those  who  claim  to  have 
a  very  easy  solution  of  the  difficulty.  They  say : 
*' Admitting  that  the  child  has  sin,  this  will  in 
no  way  endanger  its  salvation,  because  Christ 
died  to  take  away  sin.  Children  have  no  con- 
scious sin.  Therefore,  the  atonement  of  Christ 
covers  their  case,  and,  without  anything  fur- 
ther, they  pass  into  heaven,  if  they  die  in  their 
infancy. ' ' 

This  view  seems  to  satisfy  a  great  many  well- 
meaning  people.  Without  giving  the  matter 
any  further  thought,  they  dismiss  it  with  this 
seemingly  easy  solution.  Surely,  did  they  stop 
to  consider  and  examine  this  theory,  they  would 
see  that  it  has  no  foundation. 

Christ's  atonement  alone,  and  in  itself,  never 
saved  a  soul.  It  removed  the  obstacles  that 
were  in  the  way  of  our  salvation,  opened  the 
way  back  to  our  Father's  house,  purchased  for- 
giveness and  salvation  for  us.  But  all  this 
profits  the  sinner  nothing,  so  long  as  he  is  not 
brought  into  that  way;  so  long  as  the  pur- 
chased salvation  is  not  applied  to  him  person- 
ally. Neither  can  we  speak  of  salvation  being 
applied  to  an  unrenewed,  sinful  nature.  "We 
cannot  even  conceive  of  forgiveness  for  an  un- 


34  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

regenerate  being.  This  would,  indeed,  be  to 
take  away  the  guilt  of  sin,  while  its  power  re- 
mains. It  would  be  to  save  the  sinner  in  and 
with  his  sin. 

The  position  is  utterly  groundless.  It  is  even 
contrary  to  reason.  It  assumes  that  a  being  who 
has  in  his  heart,  as  a  very  part  of  his  nature, 
the  roots  and  germs  of  sin,  can,  with  that  heart 
unchanged,  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 
It  makes  God  look  upon  sin  with  allowance.  It 
does  violence  to  the  holiness  of  His  nature. 
It  makes  heaven  the  abode  of  the  unclean. 

No,  no.  It  will  not  do.  When  men  try  to 
avoid  what  seem  to  them  difficult  and  unwel- 
come doctrines  of  God's  Word,  they  run  into 
far  greater  difficulties  and  contradictions.  That 
child  is  conceived  and  born  in  sin.  It  is  a  child 
of  wrath,  dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins.  Its 
nature  must  be  cleansed  and  renewed.  Other- 
wise, if  it  can  be  saved  as  it  is,  there  are  un- 
regenerate  souls  in  heaven! 

Better  abide  by  what  is  written,  and  believe 
that  every  one,  infant  or  adult,  who  has  been 
born  of  the  flesh,  must  be  born  of  the  Spirit. 
Listen  to  the  earnest  words  of  Jesus  as  he  em- 
phasizes them  with  that  solemn  double  affirma- 
tion, '' Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a 
man  he  horn  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God.'^  He  repeats  this  sweeping  declaration 
a  second  time.    In  the  Greek  it  reads,  Except 


THE   NEW  BIRTH  35 

any  one,  be  born  again.  The  assertion  is  in- 
tended to  embrace  every  human  being.  Lest 
this  should  be  disputed,  Jesus  further  says, 
"That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh" — i.  e.,  nat- 
urally born — ''is  flesh,  and  that  tvhich  is  horn 
of  the  Spirit  is  spirit."  Wherever  there  is  a 
birth  of  the  flesh,  there  must  be  a  birth  of  the 
Spirit.  The  flesh-born  unchanged  cannot  even 
see  the  kingdom  of  God,  still  less  possess  it, 
much  less  enjoy  it.  There  must  be  new  life, 
spiritual  life,  divine  life  breathed  into  that 
fleshly,  carnal  nature.  Thus  will  there  be  a  new 
heart,  a  new  spirit,  a  new  creature.  Then,  and 
not  till  then,  can  there  be  comprehension,  appre- 
hension and  appreciation  of  the  things  of  the 
kingdom  of  God.  This  is  the  teaching  of  the 
whole  Word  of  God.  Gal.  vi.  15.  ''For  in 
Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availeth  any- 
thng,  nor  uncircumcision,  hut  a  new  creature" 
— i.  e.,  neither  Jewish  birth  nor  Gentile  birth, 
without  the  new  birth. 

Here  also  then,  spite  of  all  objections,  our 
Church  confesses  the  pure  truth  of  God's  Word, 
when,  in  the  second  Article  of  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  as  quoted  above,  she  goes  on  to  say : 
''And  this  disease,  or  original  fault,  is  truly 
sin,  condemning  and  bringing  eternal  death 
upon  all  that  are  not  born  again." 

Here  we  must  take  our  stand.  No  child  can 
be  saved  unless  it  be  first  reached  by  renewing 


36  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Grace.  If  ever  an  infant  did  die,  or  should  die, 
in  that  state  in  which  it  was  born,  unchanged  by 
divine  Grace,  that  infant  is  lost.  There  are, 
there  can  be,  no  unregenerate  souls  in  heaven. 
Where  there  is  no  infant  regeneration,  there 
can  be  no  infant  salvation.  This  will  be  more 
fully  explained  in  the  next  chapter. 

Here  also  we  remark,  in  passing,  that  this  doc- 
trine, of  the  absolute  necessity  of  infant  re- 
generation, is  not  held  by  the  Lutheran  Church 
alone.  Even  the  Eomish  and  Greek  Churches 
teach  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  human  crea- 
ture, without  a  change  from  that  condition  in 
which  he  was  born,  to  enter  heaven.  All  the 
great  historic  confessions  of  the  Protestant 
churches  confess  the  same  truth.  The  Calvin- 
istic  Baptists  also  confess  the  necessity  of  in- 
fant regeneration. 

In  short  all  churches  that  have  paid  much 
attention  to  theology,  and  have  been  careful  to 
have  consistent  systems  of  doctrine,  agree  on 
this  point.  However  much  those  who  call  them- 
selves by  the  names  of  these  churches  may  deny 
it  in  their  preaching  and  in  their  conversation, 
their  own  confessions  of  faith  and  their  great- 
est and  best  theologians  clearly  teach  it. 

Yes,  there  must  be  infant  regeneration.  But 
is  it  possible?  Can  the  Grace  of  God  reach  the 
helpless  infant?  Will  He  reach  down  and  make 
it  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus?    Has  He 


THE  NEW  BIRTH  37 

made  provision  for  this  end?  Yes,  thanks  be 
to  his  abounding  Grace,  we  believe  He  can  and 
will  save  the  child,  and  has  committed  to  His 
spouse,  the  Church,  a  means  of  Grace  for  this 
purpose.  He,  of  whom  it  was  prophesied  long 
before  He  came,  that  He  would  "gather  the 
lambs  in  His  arms  and  carry  them  in  His 
bosom/'  who  made  it  the  first  duty  of  the  re- 
instated apostle  to  feed  His  lambs,  must  have  a 
special  care  for  them.  It  is  not  His  or  His 
Father's  will  ''that  one  of  them  should  perish." 
He  has  made  provision  for  these  sin-stricken 
ones,  whereby  His  Grace  can  reach  down  to  re- 
new and  heal  them.  There  is  a  Balm  in  Gilead. 
The  Great  Physician  is  there.  The  Church  need 
only  apply  His  divine,  life-giving  remedy. 


CHAPTER  in. 

The  Present,  a  Dispensation  of  Means. 

WE  have  seen  that  the  carnal,  sinful  nature 
of  the  child  unfits  it  for  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  that,  therefore,  there  must  be  a  change 
in  that  nature,  even  the  birth  of  a  new  life,  and 
the  life  of  a  new  creature,  before  there  can  be 
either  part  or  lot  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  We 
have  also  expressed  our  firm  conviction  that  it 
is  the  good  and  gracious  will  of  God  in  Christ 
to  bestow  upon  the  poor  sin-sick  and  unholy 
child  the  Grace  needed  to  so  change  it  as  to 
make  it  a  partaker  of  His  great  salvation.  We 
do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  stop  to  multiply 
scripture  passages  and  arguments  to  prove  this. 
From  beginning  to  end,  the  divine  Word 
everywhere  represents  our  God  as  a  most  lov- 
ing, gracious,  compassionate  and  tender  Being. 
The  tenor  of  the  whole  record  is,  that  He  de- 
lights in  showing  mercy,  forgiving  iniquity,  and 
bestowing  the  Grace  that  bringeth  salvation. 
He  only  punishes  when  justice  absolutely  de- 
mands it,  and  then  reluctantly.  It  is  not  His 
will  that  any  should  perish. 

38 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATION  OF  MEANS        39 

Beyond  controversy,  God  is  willing  to  save  the 
little  helpless  sufferers  from  sin,  by  making 
them  subjects  of  His  kingdom  of  Grace  here, 
and  thus  of  His  kingdom  of  glory  hereafter. 

But  can  He?  Is  He  able  to  reach  down  to 
that  unconscious  little  child,  apply  to  it  the 
benefits  of  the  atonement,  impart  to  it  the  Grace 
of  the  new  life,  subdue  the  power  of  sin,  and 
remove  entirely  its  guilt?  We  are  almost 
ashamed  to  ask  such  questions.  And  yet  the 
humiliating  fact  is,  that  day  by  day,  in  every 
village  and  on  every  highway  and  public  place 
of  our  land,  we  can  hear  men  and  women,  pro- 
fessing to  be  Christians  and  calling  themselves 
members  of  Christ's  Church,  gravely  asserting 
that  their  Redeemer  cannot  so  bless  a  little  child 
as  to  change  its  sinful  nature !  If  hard  pressed, 
these  persons,  so  wise  in  their  own  conceits, 
may  admit  that  He  can  change  a  child 's  nature 
if  He  so  wills,  but  they  still  feel  certain  that  he 
cannot  do  so  through  His  own  sacrament,  insti- 
tuted for  that  very  purpose !  Thus  would  they 
limit  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  say  to  Omni- 
potence: ''Hitherto  canst  Thou  come,  but  no 
farther. ' ' 

With  such  people,  wise  above  what  is  written, 
knowing  better  than  Christ,  practically,  even  if 
not  intentionally,  charging  the  Son  of  God  with 
folly,  we  desire  no  controversy.  Let  them  over- 
throw the  very  foundations  of  redemption  if 


40  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

they  will.  Let  them  argue  that  all  things  are 
not  possible  with  God  if  they  dare.  We  still 
prefer  to  believe  that  the  Spirit  of  God  can 
change,  renew  and  regenerate  the  new-born 
child.  In  Matt.  iii.  9,  we  read:  "For  I  say  unto 
you  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up 
children  unto  Abraham," — i.  e.,  as  the  connec- 
tion shows,  spiritual  children  of  Abraham,  true 
children  of  God. 

We  may  not  be  able  to  understand  the  pro- 
cess by  which  God  could  change  the  rough,  hard 
stones  of  the  field  into  true  children  of  God, 
but  we  believe  it,  because  the  Word  says  so. 
And  believing  that,  it  is  not  hard  for  us  to  be- 
lieve that  He  can  impart  His  own  divine  life 
to  the  heart  of  the  child,  and  thus  make  it  a 
new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

He  could,  if  it  so  pleased  Him,  do  it  without 
any  means.  By  a  mere  act  of  His  will,  God 
could  recreate  the  human  soul.  He  could  do  so 
by  a  word,  as  He  created  the  universe.  Without 
the  contact  of  any  outward  means,  without  di- 
rectly bringing  His  Word  to  them  in  any 
way,  Christ  healed  the  ruler  *s  son  and  the 
daughter  of  the  Syro-Phenician  woman.  But 
if  He  can  do  this  without  means,  who  will  sa}^ 
that  He  cannot  do  the  same  thing  through 
means  ?  Since,  then.  He  can  accomplish  his  own 
purposes  of  Grace  either  with  or  without 
means,  it  only  remains  for  us  to  inquire,  in  what 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATIOlSr  OF  MEANS        41 

way  has  it  pleased  God  to  work?  Does  He  in 
the  present  dispensation  work  mediately  or  im- 
mediately? It  will  scarcely  be  disputed  that 
the  present  is  a  dispensation  of  means — that 
even  in  the  domain  of  nature,  and  much  more 
in  the  realm  of  Grace,  He  ordinarily  carries  out 
His  purposes  through  means.  He  chooses  His 
o^vn  means.  They  may  sometimes  seem  foolish- 
ness to  man,  especially  in  the  operations  of  His 
Grace. 

Our  Saviour,  in  working  miracles,  used  some 
means  that  must  have  struck  those  interested 
as  very  unsuitable.  When  He  healed  the  man 
blind  from  his  birth,  Be  mixed  spittle  and  clay, 
and  with  this  strange  ointment,  anointed  and 
opened  his  eyes.  Well  might  the  blind  man 
have  said:  ''What  good  can  a  little  earth 
mixed  with  spittle  do?"  Yet  it  pleased  our 
Lord  to  use  it  as  a  means,  in  working  that  stu- 
pendous miracle.  When  Jesus  asked  for  the 
five  barley  loaves  and  two  small  fishes,  to  feed 
the  five  thousand,  even  an  apostle  said :  ' '  What 
are  these  among  so  many?"  Yes,  what  are 
they?  In  the  hands  of  a  mere  man  nothing- 
nay,  worse  than  nothing ;  only  enough  to  taunt 
the  hungry  thousands  and  become  a  cause  of 
strife  and  riot.  But  in  the  hands  of  the  Son 
of  God,  with  His  blessing  on  them,  taken  from 
His  hands,  and  disturbed  according  to  His 
Word  they  became  a  feast  in  the  wilderness. 


42  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

A  poor  woman,  a  sufferer  for  twelve  years, 
craves  healing  from  our  Lord.  With  a  woman's 
faith,  timid  though  strong,  she  presses  through 
the  crowd  close  up  to  Jesus,  and  with  her  tremb- 
ling bony  fingers  touches  the  hem  of  His  gar- 
ment. Jesus  perceives  that  virtue  is  gone  out  of 
Him.  The  woman  perceives  that  virtue,  healing 
and  life  are  come  into  her.  There  was  a  trans- 
fer from  Christ's  blessed  life-giving  body,  into 
the  diseased  suffering  body  of  the  woman.  And 
what  was  the  medium  of  the  transfer?  The 
fringe  of  His  garment — a  piece  of  cloth.  Yes, 
if  it  so  pleases  the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting 
Saviour,  He  can  use  a  piece  of  cloth  as  a 
means  to  transfer  healing  and  life  from  Him- 
self to  a  suffering  one. 

The  same  divine  Saviour  now  works  through 
means.  He  has  founded  a  Church,  ordained 
a  ministry,  and  instituted  the  preaching  of  the 
Word  and  the  administration  of  His  own 
sacraments.  Christ  now  works  in  and  through 
His  Church.  Through  her  ministry,  preach- 
ing the  Word,  and  administering  the  sacra- 
ments, the  Holy  Spirit  is  given.  (Augsburg 
Confession,  Article  5.)  When  Christ  sent  forth 
His  apostles  to  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  He 
instructed  them  how  they  were  to  do  it.  The 
commission  correctly  translated,  as  we  have 
it  in  the  Revised  New  Testament  reads  thus: 
''Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all 


THE  PRESENT,  A  DISPENSATION  OF  MEANS        43 

the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  commanded  you;  and  lo,  I  am  ivith 
you  alivay,  even  tinto  the  end  of  the  world." 
Here  then  is  the  Saviour's  explicit  instruction. 
The  Apostles  are  to  make  disciples.  This  is  the 
object  of  their  mission.  How  are  they  to  do 
it?  By  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the 
triune  God,  and  teaching  them  to  observe  all 
Christ's  commands.  This  is  Christ's  own  ap- 
pointed way  of  applying  His  Grace  to  sinful 
men,  and  bringing  them  out  of  a  state  of  sin 
into  a  state  of  grace. 

And  this  is  the  Way  of  Salvation  in  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  We  begin  with  the  child,  who 
needs  Grace.  We  begin  by  baptizing  that  child 
into  Christ.  We,  therefore,  lay  much  stress  on 
baptism.  We  teach  our  people  that  it  is  sinful, 
if  not  perilous,  to  neglect  the  baptism  of  their 
children.  The  Lutheran  Church  attaches  more 
importance  to  this  divine  ordinance  than  does 
any  other  Protestant  Church.  While  all  around 
us  there  has  been  a  weakening  and  yielding  on 
this  point;  while  the  spirit  of  our  age  and 
country  scorns  the  idea  of  a  child  receiving  di- 
vine Grace  through  baptism;  while  it  has  be- 
come offensive  to  the  popular  ear  to  speak  of 
baptismal  Grace,  our  Church,  wherever  she  has 
been  and  is  true  to  herself,  stands  to-day  where 


44  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Martin  Luther  and  his  co-workers  stood,  where 
the  confessors  of  Augsburg  stood,  and  where 
the  framers  of  the  Book  of  Concord  stood. 

The  world  still  asks:  ''What  good  can  a 
little  water  do?'*  "VVe  answer,  first  of  all: 
''Baptism  is  not  simply  ivater,  but  it  is  the 
water  comprehended  in  God's  command,  and 
connected  with  God's  Word."  (Luther's  Small 
Catechism.)  The  Lutheran  Church  knows  of  no 
baptism  that  is  only  ' '  a  little  water. ' '  We  can- 
not speak  of  such  a  baptism.  Let  it  be  clearly 
understood  that  when  we  speak  of  baptism,  we 
speak  of  it  as  defined  above,  by  Luther.  We 
cannot  separate  the  water  from  the  Word.  We 
would  not  dare  to  baptize  with  water  without 
the  Word.  In  the  words  of  Luther,  that  would 
be  ' '  sunply  water,  and  no  baptism. ' '  Let  it  be 
kept  constantly  in  mind  that  whatever  benefits 
and  effects  we  ascribe  to  baptism,  in  the  further 
forcible  words  of  Luther's  Catechism:  "It  is 
not  the  water,  indeed,  that  produces  these  ef- 
fects, but  the  Word  of  God  which  accompanies 
and  is  connected  with  the  water,  and  our  faith 
which  relies  on  the  Word  of  God  connected  with 
the  water."  If  now  the  question  is  further 
asked :  What  good  can  baptism  as  thus  defined 
do?  we  will  try  to  answer,  or,  rather,  we  will 
let  God's  Word  answer.  "What  saith  the 
Scripture?'* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Baptism,  a  Divinely  Appointed  Means  of 
Grace. 

WHEN  we  inquire  into  the  benefits  and  bles- 
sings which  the  Word  of  God  connects  with 
baptism  we  must  be  careful  to  obtain  the  true 
sense  and  necessary  meaning  of  its  declarations. 
It  is  not  enough  to  pick  out  an  isolated  passage 
or  two,  give  them  a  sense  of  our  own,  and  forth- 
with build  on  them  a  theory  or  a  doctrine.  In 
this  way  the  Holy  Scriptures  have  been  made 
to  teach  and  support  the  gravest  errors  and 
most  dangerous  heresies.  In  this  way  many 
persons  ''wrest  the  Scriptures  to  their  own 
destruction.'*  On  this  important  point  our 
Church  has  laid  down  certain  plain,  practical, 
safe  and  sound  principles.  By  keeping  in  mind, 
and  following  these  fundamental  directions,  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  divine  Word,  the  plain- 
est searcher  of  the  Scriptures  can  save  himself 
from  great  confusion,  perplexity  and  doubt. 

One  of  the  first  and  most  important  princi- 
ples, insisted  on  by  our  theologians  and  the 
framers  of  our  Confessions,  is  that  a  passage 
of  Scripture  is  always  to  be  taken  in  its  natural, 

45 


46  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

plain  and  literal  sense,  unless  there  is  some- 
thing in  the  text  itself,  or  in  the  context,  that 
clearly  indicates  that  it  is  intended  to  convey 
a  figurative  sense. 

Again:  A  passage  is  never  to  be  torn  from 
its  connection,  but  is  to  be  studied  in  connection 
with  what  goes  before  and  follows  after. 

Again — and  this  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
— Scripture  is  to  be  interpreted  by  Scripture. 
As  Quenstedt  says:  ''Passages  which  need  ex- 
planation can  and  should  be  explained  by  other 
passages  that  are  more  clear,  and  thus  the 
Scripture  itself  furnishes  an  interpretation  of 
obscure  expressions,  when  a  comparison  of 
these  is  made  with  those  that  are  more  clear. 
So  that  Scripture  is  explained  by  Scripture." 

According  to  these  principles,  we  ought  never 
to  be  fully  certain  that  any  doctrine  is  scrip- 
tural, until  we  have  examined  all  that  the  divine 
Word  says  on  the  subject.  In  this  manner  then 
we  wish  to  answer  the  question :  What  is  writ- 
ten as  to  the  benefits  and  blessings  conferred 
in  baptism? 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  commission 
given  to  the  Apostles  in  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  We 
have  seen  that  in  that  commission  our  Lord 
makes  baptism  one  of  the  means  through  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  operates  in  making  disciples. 
In  Mark  xvi.  16,  he  says:  "He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptized  shall  he  saved."    In  John  iii.  5, 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  47 

he  says:  "Except  a  man" — i.  e.,  any  one — "he 
horn  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
the  kingdom  of  God."  In  Acts  ii.  38,  the 
Apostle  says:  "Repent  and  he  baptized  every 
one  of  you  for  the  remission  of  your  sins." 
Acts  xxii.  16 :  "Arise  and  he  baptized,  and  ivash 
away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Eomans  vi.  3:  "Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of 
us  as  were  baptized  into  Christ,  tvere  baptized 
into  His  death?"  Gal.  iii.  27:  "For  as  many 
of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ,  have 
put  on  Christ.'^  Eph.  v.  25-26:  "Christ  also 
loved  the  Church,  and  gave  himself  for  it,  that 
He  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the 
washing  of  water  by  the  Word."  Col.  ii.  12: 
"Buried  with  Him  in  baptism,,  wherein  ye  are 
also  risen  with  Him  through  the  faith  of  the 
operation  of  God."  Tit.  iii.  5:  "According  to 
His  mercy  He  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  re- 
generation, and  renetving  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
1  Pet.  iii.  21:  "The  like  figure  whereunto  even 
baptism  doth  also  now  save  us;  not  the  putting 
aivay  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  the  answer  of 
a  good  conscience  toward  God,  by  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ." 

These  are  the  principal  passages  which  treat 
of  the  subject  of  baptism.  There  are  a  few 
other  passages  in  which  baptism  is  merely  men- 
tioned, but  not  explained.     There  is  not  one 


48  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

passage  that  teaches  any  thing  different  from 
those  here  quoted. 

All  we  now  ask  of  the  reader  is  to  examine 
these  passages  carefully  to  compare  them  one 
with  the  other  and  to  ask  himself:  What  do 
they  teach  ?  What  is  the  meaning  which  a  plain, 
unprejudiced  reader,  who  has  implicit  confi- 
dence in  the  Word  and  power  of  God,  would  de- 
rive from  them  1  Can  he  say, ' '  There  is  nothing 
in  baptism  f  "  *  *  It  is  of  no  consequence. "  "It 
is  only  a  Church  ceremony,  without  any  particu- 
lar blessing  in  it."  Or,  do  the  words  clearly 
teach  that  it  is  nothing  more  than  a  sign — an 
outward  sign — of  an  invisible  grace  f 

Look  again  at  the  expressions  of  these  pas- 
sages. We  desire  to  be  clear  here,  because  this 
is  one  of  the  points  on  which  the  Lutheran 
Church  to-day  differs  from  others.  Jesus  men- 
tions water  as  well  as  Spirit,  when  speaking  of 
the  new  birth.  ''Make  disciples,  (by)  baptizing 
them. ' ^  "Be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  your 
sins/'  "Be  baptized  and  wash  away  thy  sin." 
"Baptized  into  Christ.''  By  baptism  ''put  on 
Christ."  Christ  designs  to  sanctify  and  cleanse 
the  Church  with  "the  washing  of  water  by  the 
Word. ' '  ''Washing  of  regeneration  and  renew- 
ing of  the  Holy  Ghost."  "Baptism  doth  also 
now  save  us."  The  language  is  certainly  strong 
and  plain.  Any  principle  of  interpretation,  by 
which  baptismal  Grace  and  regeneration  can 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  49 

be  eliminated  from  these  passages,  will  over- 
throw every  doctrine  of  our  holy  Christian 
faith. 

Our  Catechism  here  also  teaches  nothing  but 
the  pure  truth  of  the  Word,  when  it  asserts 
that  baptism  ''worketh  forgiveness  of  sins,  de- 
livers from  death  and  the  devil,  and  confers 
everlasting  salvation  on  all  who  believe,  as 
the  Word  and  promise  of  God  declare.'*  Our 
solid  and  impregnable  Augsburg  Confession, 
also,  when  in  Article  II.  it  confesses  that  the 
now  birth  by  baptism  and  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
livers from  the  power  and  penalty  of  original 
sin.  Also  in  Article  IX.,  **of  baptism  they 
teach  that  it  is  necessary  to  salvation,  and  that 
by  baptism  the  Grace  of  God  is  offered,  and  that 
children  are  to  be  baptized,  who  by  baptism 
being  offered  to  God,  are  received  into  God's 
favor. ' '  And  so  with  all  our  other  confessional 
writings. 

The  question  might  here  be  asked:  Is  bap- 
tism so  absolutely  essential  to  salvation,  that 
unbaptized  children  are  lost?  To  this  we  would 
briefly  reply,  that  the  very  men  who  drew  up 
our  Confessions  deny  emphatically  that  it  is 
thus  absolutely  necessary.  Luther,  Melanch- 
thon,  Bugenhagen  and  others,  repudiate  the  idea 
that  an  unbaptized  infant  is  lost.  No  single  ac- 
knowledged theologian  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
ever  taught  this  repulsive  doctrine.    Why  then 


50  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

does  our  Confession  say  baptism  is  necessary 
to  salvation?  It  is  necessary  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  it  is  necessary  to  use  all  Christ's  or- 
dinances. The  necessity  is  ordinary,  not  abso- 
lute. Ordinarily  Christ  bestows  His  Grace  on 
the  child  through  baptism,  as  the  means  or 
channel  through  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  con- 
ferred. But  when,  through  no  fault  of  its  own, 
this  is  not  applied.  He  can  reach  it  in  some 
other  way. 

As  we  have  seen  above,  He  is  not  so  limited 
to  certain  means,  that  His  Grace  cannot  operate 
without  them.  The  only  thing  on  which  our 
Church  insists  in  the  case  of  a  child  as  abso- 
lutely necessary,  is  the  new  birth.  Ordinarily 
this  is  effected,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through 
baptism,  as  the  means  of  Grace.  When  the 
means,  however,  cannot  be  or,  through  no  fault 
of  the  child,  are  not  applied,  the  Spirit  of  God 
can  effect  this  new  birth  in  some  other  way.  He 
is  not  bound  to  means.  And  from  what  we  have 
learned  above  of  the  will  of  God  toward  these 
little  ones  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
He  does  so  reach  and  change  every  infant  that 
dies  unbaptized.  The  position  of  our  Church, 
as  accepted  by  all  her  great  theologians,  was 
tersely  and  clearly  expressed  by  Augustine  in 
the  words,  ''Not  the  absence  but  the  contempt 
of  the  sacrament  condemns. ' '    Not  the  child  but 


BAPTISM,  A  DIVINE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  51 

the  parents  are  responsible  for  the  absence  of 
the  Sacrament.    The  guilt  is  on  the  parents. 

While  the  Lutheran  Church,  therefore,  has 
confidence  enough  in  her  dear  heavenly  Father 
and  loving  Saviour,  to  believe  that  her  Lord 
will  never  let  a  little  one  perish,  but  will  always 
regenerate  and  fit  it  for  His  blessed  Kingdom 
ere  He  takes  it  hence,  she  still  strenuously  in- 
sists on  having  the  children  of  all  her  house- 
holds baptized  into  Christ.  It  certainly  cannot 
be  a  matter  of  indifference  to  deprive  one  of 
these  little  ones  of  a  means  of  Grace. 

Others  may  come  and  say:  You  have  no 
authority  in  the  Bible  for  baptizing  infants. 
Without  entering  fully  upon  this  point  we 
briefly  say:  It  is  enough  for  a  Lutheran  to 
know  that  the  divine  commission  is  to  ''baptize 
the  nations" — there  never  was  a  nation  without 
infants.  The  children  need  Grace :  baptism  con- 
fers Grace.  It  is  specially  adapted  to  impart 
spiritual  blessings  to  these  little  ones.  We  can- 
not take  the  preached  Word,  but  we  can  take 
the  sacramental  Word  and  apply  it  to  them. 
God  established  infant  membership  in  his 
Church.  He  alone  has  a  right  to  revoke  it.  He 
has  never  done  so.  Therefore  it  stands.  If  the 
Old  Testament  convenant  of  Grace  embraced  in- 
fants, the  New  is  not  narrower,  but  wider. 

The  pious  Baptist  mother's  heart  is  much 
more  scripturally  correct  than  her  head.    She 


52  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

presses  her  babe  to  her  bosom,  and  prays 
earnestly  to  Jesus  to  bless  that  babe.  Her 
heart  knows  and  believes  that  that  dear  child 
needs  the  blessing  of  Jesus,  and  that  He  can 
bestow  the  needed  blessing.  And  yet  she  will 
deny  that  He  can  bless  it  through  His  own 
sacrament — 'Hhe  washing  of  water  by  the 
Word." 

The  devout  Lutheran  mother  presses  her 
baptized  child  to  her  bosom,  looks  into  its  eyes, 
and  thanks  her  Saviour  from  the  depth  of  her 
heart,  that  He  has  blessed  her  child;  that  He 
has  breathed  into  it  His  divine  life,  washed  it, 
sealed  it,  and  adopted  it  as  His  son  or  daughter. 
How  sweet  the  consolation  to  know  that  her 
precious  little  one  is  a  lamb  of  Christ's  flock, 
*' bearing  on  its  body  the  marTcs  of  the  Lord 
Jesus." 

But  Christian  parents  have  not  fulfilled  their 
whole  duty  when  they  have  had  their  children 
baptized  into  Christ.  The  children  certainly 
are  now  in  covenant  relationship  with  Jesus 
Christ.  But  it  is  the  bounden  duty  and  blessed 
privilege  of  father  and  mother  to  keep  their  * 
little  ones  in  that  covenant  of  Grace, 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Baptismal.  Covenant  Can  Be  Kept  Un- 
broken.   Aim  and  Responsibility  of 
Parents. 

WE  have  gone  ''to  the  Law  and  to  the  Testi- 
mony*' to  find  out  what  the  nature  and 
benefits  of  Baptism  are.  We  have  gathered  out 
of  the  Word  all  the  principal  passages  bearing 
on  this  subject.  We  have  grouped  them  to- 
gether and  have  studied  them  side  by  side.  We 
have  noticed  that  their  sense  is  uniform,  clear 
and  strong.  Unless  we  are  willing  to  throw 
aside  all  sound  principles  of  interpretation,  we 
can  extract  from  the  words  of  inspiration  only- 
one  meaning,  and  that  is  that  the  baptized  child 
is,  by  virtue  of  that  divine  ordinance,  a  new 
creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Here  let  us  be  careful,  however,  to  bear  in 
mind  and  keep  before  us  that  we  claim  for  the 
child  only  the  birth  of  a  new  life.  It  has  been 
horn  oi^  water  and  the  Spirit.  A  birth  we  know 
is  but  a  very  feeble  beginning  of  an  independent 
life.  So  faint  are  the  flickerings  of  the  natural 
life  at  birth,  that  it  is  often  doubtful  whether 

53 


54  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

any  life  is  present.  The  result  of  a  birth  is  not 
a  full-grown  man,  but  a  very  weak  and  helpless 
babe.  The  little  life  needs  the  most  tender, 
watchful  and  intelligent  fostering  and  care. 

So  is  it  also  in  the  Kingdom  of  Grace.  The 
divine  life  is  there.  But  it  is  life  in  its  first  be- 
ginnings. As  yet  there  is  only  the  seed  and 
germ  of  the  new  life.  And  this  young  spiritual 
life  also  needs  gentle  fostering  and  careful 
nourishing.  Like  the  natural  life  of  the  child, 
so  its  spiritual  life  is  beset  mth  perils.  While 
the  germs  of  the  new  life  are  there,  we  must 
not  forget  that  the  roots  of  sin  are  also  still 
there.  Our  Church  does  not  teach  with  Rome 
that  *'sin  (original)  is  destroyed  in  baptism, 
so  that  it  no  longer  exists."  Hollazius  says: 
*'The  guilt  and  dominion  of  sin  is  taken  away 
by  baptism,  but  not  the  root  or  tinder  of  sin." 
Luther  also  writes  that  *' Baptism  takes  away 
the  guilt  of  sin,  although  the  material,  called 
concupiscence,  remains. '  * 

Unfortunately  for  the  child  these  roots  of  sin 
will  grow  of  their  own  accord,  like  the  weeds 
in  our  gardens.  They  need  no  fostering  care. 
Not  so  with  the  germs  of  the  new  life.  They, 
like  the  most  precious  plants  of  the  gardens, 
must  be  watched  and  guarded  and  tended  con- 
tinually. Solomon  says:  Prov.  xxix.  15,  ^^A 
child  left  to  himself  bringeth  his  mother  to 


THE  BAPTISMAIj  COVENANT  55 

shame."    And  this  is  only  too  often  true  even 
of  a  baptized  child. 

The  Christian  parent,  therefore,  has  not  ful- 
filled his  whole  duty  to  the  child  when  he  has 
had  it  baptized.  It  is  now  the  parents'  duty; 
or  rather  it  should  be  considered  the  parents' 
most  blessed  privilege  to  keep  that  child  in 
covenant  relationship  with  the  blessed  Re- 
deemer. This  also  belongs  to  the  teaching  of 
the  Church  of  the  Reformation.  This  point, 
however,  many  parents  seem  to  forget.  Many 
who  are  sound  on  the  question  of  baptismal 
Grace,  are  very  unsound  as  to  a  parent's  duty 
to  the  baptized  child. 

Hunnius,  a  recognized  standard  theologian 
of  our  Church,  in  speaking  of  the  responsibil- 
ity of  those  who  present  children  for  baptism 
says  it  is  expected  of  them  First,  to  answer,  in 
behalf  of  the  child,  as  to  the  faith  in  which  it  is 
to  be  baptized,  and  in  which  it  is  to  be  brought 
up.  Second,  to  instruct  the  child  when  it  comes 
to  years  of  discretion,  that  it  has  been  truly  bap- 
tized, as  Christ  has  commanded.  Third,  to  pray 
for  the  child,  that  God  may  keep  it  in  that 
Covenant  of  Grace,  bless  it  in  body  and  spirit, 
and  finally  save  it  with  all  true  believers,  and 
Fourth,  to  use  all  diligence  that  the  child  may 
grow  up  in  that  faith,  which  they  have  con- 
fessed in  the  child's  name,  and  thus  be  pre- 
served from  dangerous  error  and  false  doctrine. 


56  THE  WAY  OF  SAX,VATION 

That  most  delightful  Lutheran  theologian, 
Luthardt,  says :  ' '  Infant  baptism  is  a  comfort 
beyond  any  other,  but  it  is  also  a  responsibility 
beyond  any  other. ' '  Again :  * '  As  Christians  we 
know  that  God  has  bestowed  upon  our  children 
not  only  natural,  but  spiritual  gifts.  For  our 
children  have  been  baptized  and  received  by 
baptism  into  the  Covenant  of  Grace.  To  pre- 
serve them  in  this  baptismal  Grace,  to  develop 
in  them  the  life  of  God's  spirit,  this  is  one  side 
of  Christian  education.  To  contend  against 
sin  in  the  child  is  the  other."  Dr.  Schmid,  in 
his  Christian  Ethics,  also  teaches  that  it  is 
possible  to  continue  in  the  uninterrupted  enjoy- 
ment of  baptismal  Grace.  Dr.  Pontoppidan,  in 
his  excellent  explanation  of  Luther's  Small 
Catechism,  asks  the  question:  ''Is  it  possible 
to  keep  one's  baptismal  covenant?'*  He  an- 
swers: *'Yes,  by  the  Grace  of  God  it  is  possi- 
ble." 

The  teaching  of  our  Church,  therefore,  is 
that  the  baptized  child  can  grow  up  a  child  of 
Grace  from  infancy  and  that,  under  God,  it 
rests  principally  with  the  parents  or  guardians 
whether  it  shall  be  so.  And  this  Lutheran  idea, 
like  all  others,  is  grounded  in  the  Word  of  God. 

We  note  a  few  examples :  Samuel  was  a  child 
of  prayer,  given  to  his  pious  mother  in  answer 
to  prayer.  She  called  him  Samuel,  i.  e.,  asked 
of  God.    Even  before  his  birth  she  dedicated 


THE  BAPTISMAX.  COVENANT  57 

him  to  God.  As  soon  as  he  was  weaned  she 
carried  him  to  the  Tabernacle  and  there  publicly 
consecrated  him  to  the  service  of  the  Most 
High.  From  this  time  forth,  according  to  the 
sacred  record,  he  dwelt  in  God's  Tabernacle 
and  ^'ministered  unto  the  Lord  before  Eli." 
As  a  mere  child  God  used  him  as  a  prophet. 
Of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  it  is  written:  (Jer.  i. 
5)  "Before  thou  earnest  forth  out  of  the  womb, 
I  sanctified  thee."  Of  John  the  Baptist  it  is 
written:  (Luke  i.  15)  "He  shall  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  even  from  his  mother's  womb." 
To  Timothy,  Paul  says:  "From  a  child  thou 
hast  known  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able 
to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation,"  and  in  speak- 
ing of  Timothy's  faith  Paul  says  that  that  faith 
"dwelt  first  in  thy  grandmother  Lois,  and  thy 
mother  Eunice."  Psalms  Ixxi.  5-6:  "Thou  art 
my  trust  from  my  youth.  By  thee  have  I  been 
holden  up  from  the  ivomb." 

It  is  therefore  possible  for  God  not  only  to 
give  His  Grace  to  a  child  but  to  keep  that  child 
in  His  Grace  all  its  days.  To  dispute  this  is, 
simply,  to  dispute  the  record  that  God  gave. 

Lest  some  one  should  still  say,  however,  that 
the  examples  above  noted  are  isolated  and  ex- 
ceptional, we  note  further,  that  the  tenor  of  the 
whole  Word  is  in  harmony  with  this  idea.  No- 
where in  the  whole  Bible  is  it  even  intimated 
that  it  is  God's  desire  or  plan  that  children 


58  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

must  remain  outside  of  the  covenant  of  Grace, 
and  have  no  part  or  lot  in  the  benefits  of 
Christ's  redeeming  work  until  they  come  to 
years  of  discretion  and  can  choose  for  them- 
selves. This  modern  idea  is  utterly  foreign  and 
contradictory  to  all  we  know  of  God,  of  His 
scheme  of  redemption,  and  of  His  dealings  with 
His  people,  either  in  the  old  or  new  dispensa- 
tion. He  ordained  that  infants  at  eight  days 
old  should  be  brought  into  His  covenant.  He 
recognized  infant  children  as  partakers  of  the 
blessings  of  His  covenant.  ''Out  of  the  mouth 
of  habes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  perfected 
praise;^'  "Suffer  them  to  come  unto  Me." 
Everywhere  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  the 
children  who  have  received  either  the  Old  or 
New  Testament  sacrament  of  initiation  are  His. 
Nowhere  are  parents  exhorted  to  use  their  en- 
deavors to  have  such  children  converted,  as 
though  they  had  never  been  touched  by  divine 
Grace.  But  everywhere  they  are  exhorted  to 
keep  them  in  that  relation  to  their  Lord,  into 
which  His  own  ordiance  has  brought  them.  Gen. 
xviii.  19,  "I  know  that  he  will  command  his 
household  after  him,  and  that  they  shall  keep 
the  way  of  the  Lord.'*  Psalm  Ixxviii.  6,  7,  "That 
the  generation  to  come  might  know  them,  even 
the  children  which  should  he  horn,  which  should 
arise  and  declare  them  to  their  children,  that 
they  might  set  their  hope  in  God,  and  not  forget 


THE  BAPTISMAL  COVENANT  59 

the  works  of  God,  hut  keep  His  command- 
ments." Prov.  xxii.  6,  ^' Train  up  a  child  in  the 
way  he  should  go;  when  he  is  old  he  will  not 
depart  from  it."  Eph.  vi.  4,  "Bring  them  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

Let  the  baptized  child  then  be  looked  "upon 
as  already  belonging  to  Christ.  Let  the  parents 
not  worry  as  though  it  could  not  be  His  until 
it  experiences  a  change  of  heart.  That  heart 
has  been  changed.  The  germs  of  faith  and  love 
are  there.  If  the  parent  appreciates  this  fact 
and  does  his  part,  there  will  be  developed,  very 
early,  the  truest  confidence  and  trust  in  Christ, 
and  the  purest  love  to  God.  From  the  germs 
will  grow  the  beautiful  plant  of  child-trust  and 
child-love.  The  graces  of  the  new  life  may  be 
thus  early  drawn  out,  so  that  the  child  in  after 
years  will  never  know  of  a  time  when  it  did  not 
trust  and  love,  and  as  a  result  of  this  love  hate 
sin.  This  is  the  ideal  of  God 's  Word.  It  is  the 
ideal  which  every  Christian  parent  should 
strive  to  realize  in  the  children  given  by  God, 
and  given  to  God  in  His  own  ordinance.  Can 
it  be  done? 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Home  Influence  and  Training  in  Their 

Relation  to  the  Keeping  of  the 

Baptismal  Covenant 

ACCORDING  to  the  last  chapter,  it  is  indeed 
a  high  and  holy  ideal  that  every  Christian 
parent  should  set  before  him  in  regard  to  his 
children.  Every  child  that  God  gives  to  a 
Christian  parent  is  to  be  so  treated  that,  from 
the  hour  of  its  baptism,  it  is  to  be  a  son  or  a 
daughter  of  God.  It  is  to  be  so  fostered  and 
nurtured  and  trained  that,  from  its  earliest  self- 
consciousness,  it  is  to  grow  day  by  day  in 
knowledge  and  in  Grace.  As  it  increases  in 
stature,  so  it  is  to  increase  in  wisdom  and  in 
favor  with  God  and  with  man. 

In  order  that  this  may  be  realized,  it  is  first 
of  all  necessary  that  there  be  the  proper  sur- 
roundings. We  cannot  expect  that  parent  to 
draw  out  these  graces  of  the  new  life  in  the 
child,  who  is  not  himself  imbued  with  a  spirit 
of  living  faith  and  fervent  love  to  Christ.  In 
the  beautiful  words  of  Luthardt:  **  Religion 
must  first  approach  the  child  in  the  form  of 

60 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  61 

life,  and  afterward  in  the  form  of  instruction. 
Let  religion  be  the  atmosphere  by  which  the 
child  is  surrounded,  the  air  which  it  breathes. 
The  whole  spirit  of  the  home,  its  order,  its 
practice — that  world  in  which  the  child  finds 
himself  so  soon  as  he  knows  himself— this  it  is 
which  must  make  religion  appear  to  him  a  thing 
natural  and  self-evident." 

And  this  is  especially  important  for  the 
mother.  It  is  while  resting  on  the  mother's 
bosom  and  playing  at  the  mother's  knee,  that 
the  child  is  receiving  impressions  that  become 
stones  for  character  building.  The  father,  of 
course,  is  not  released  from  responsibility.  He 
too  is  to  set  a  holy  example,  to  make  impres- 
sions for  good  and  to  use  all  his  influence  to  di- 
rect the  thoughts  and  inclinations  of  the  child 
upward.  The  man  who  does  not  help  in  the 
religious  training  of  his  own  children  is  not  fit 
to  be  a  father.  But  it  is  after  all  with  the 
mother  that  the  little  child  spends  most  of  its 
time  and  receives  most  of  its  impressions.  Oh, 
that  every  mother  were  a  Hannah,  an  Elizabeth, 
an  Eunice.  Then  would  there  be  more  Samuels, 
Johns  and  Timothys.  Let  us  have  more  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ  in  the  heart  of  the  mother  and 
father,  and  in  the  home.  Let  the  child  learn, 
with  the  first  dawnings  of  self-consciousness, 
that  Jesus  is  known  and  loved  and  honored  in 


62  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

the  home,  and  there  will  be  little  or  no  trouble 
about  the  future. 

But  the  child  must  be  instructed.  Begin 
early.  Let  it  learn  to  pray  as  soon  as  it  can 
speak.  Let  it  use  its  first  lispings  and  stam- 
merings in  speaking  words  of  prayer.  We 
quote  again  from  Luthardt:  "Let  it  not  be 
objected  that  the  child  cannot  understand  the 
prayer.  The  way  of  education  is  by  practice 
to  understanding,  not  by  understanding  to  prac- 
tice. And  the  child  will  have  a  feeling  and  a 
presentiment  of  what  it  cannot  understand.  The 
world  of  heavenly  things  is  not  an  incompre- 
hensible region  to  the  child,  but  the  home  of  its 
spirit.  The  child  will  speak  to  his  Father  in 
Heaven  without  needing  much  instruction  as  to 
who  that  Father  is.  It  seems  as  though  God 
were  a  well-known  friend  of  his  heart.  The 
child  will  love  to  pray.  If  mother  forgets  it, 
the  child  will  not." 

Therefore,  oh,  ye  parents!  pray  for  your 
child.  Pray  with  your  child.  Teach  that  child 
to  pray.  The  writer  knows  of  a  little  girl  who 
came  home  from  Sunday-school  and  said: 
''Mamma,  why  don't  you  ever  pray?"  What  a 
rebuke ! 

The  child  must  be  taught  the  truth  of  God's 
Word.  It  also  must  be  sanctified,  L  e.,  made 
more  and  more  holy  "through  the  truth."  As 
a  child  it  .needs  first  the  "milk  of  the  Word.*' 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  63 

It  is  not  desirable,  neither  is  it  necessary,  to 
try  to  teach  the  very  young  child  doctrines  and 
abstract  truths.  Neither  ought  the  child  to  be 
required  to  learn  by  rote  long  passages  from 
the  Scriptures.  In  this  way  some  well-meaning 
but  mistaken  parents  make  the  Word  a  burden 
to  their  children,  and  it  becomes  odious  in  their 
eyes.  There  are  other  and  better  ways.  Begin 
by  showing  the  child  Bible  pictures,  even  if  it 
should  soil  the  book  a  little.  Better  a  thousand 
times  have  the  lessons  of  life  and  love  from 
the  old  Bible  graven  on  the  heart  of  the  child, 
than  to  have  its  fine  engravings  as  a  parlor 
ornament  for  strangers.  In  our  day  there  is 
also  an  abundant  supply  of  Bible  pictures  and 
story  books  for  children.  Those  parents  who 
have  never  tried  it  will  be  surprised  to  see  the 
interest  the  little  ones  will  take  in  these.  With 
the  pictures  connect  the  stories  of  the  Bible. 
And  where  are  the  stories  better  calculated  to 
interest  a  child  than  those  same  old  stories,  that 
have  edified  a  hundred  generations  ?  When  will 
children  ever  weary  of  hearing  of  Joseph,  and 
Moses,  and  David,  and  Daniel,  and  especially 
of  Him  who  is  the  special  Friend  of  children? 
It  will  be  easy  to  so  connect  the  teachings  of  the 
Word  with  these  pictures  and  stories  that  very 
young  children  will  be  able  to  distinguish  right 
from  wrong,  to  know  and  hate  sin,  and  to  be 
drawn  ever  nearer  to  the  blessed  Jesus. 


64  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

As  they  become  able  to  study,  to  think  and  to 
comprehend  it,  the  judicious  parent  will  be  glad 
to  avail  himself  of  the  help  of  Luther's  Cate- 
chism. Here  the  more  important  teachings  of 
the  Word  are  summarized  and  systematized. 

Most  parents  indeed  are  glad  to  shirk  this 
duty,  and  flatter  themselves  that  if  they  send 
their  children  to  catechetical  class  when  they 
grow  old  enough  they  have  performed  their 
whole  duty.  Such  parents  do  not  perhaps 
know,  that  Martin  Luther  wrote  his  Small 
Catechism  especially  for  family  use.  Let  them 
take  their  Church  Books  and  turn  to  the  Cate- 
chism, and  they  will  find  that  Luther  heads  the 
Ten  Commandments  with  the  words:  **In  the 
plain  form  in  which  they  are  to  be  taught  by 
the  head  of  the  family.'' 

So  also  with  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
and  the  Sacraments.    This  is  Luther's  idea. 

It  is  the  true  idea.  It  belongs  to  the  Way  of 
Salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church.  It  is  the 
custom,  still  practiced  in  our  older  Lutheran 
churches.  The  pastor,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter, 
is  only  to  help  the  parents,  and  not  to  do  it  all 
for  them.  The  teaching  of  the  Catechism  at 
home,  will  give  the  parents  an  opportunity  to 
speak  of  and  to  explain  what  sin  is,  what  faith 
is,  what  prayer  is,  and  what  the  sacraments  are. 
We  would  impress  also  the  importance  of  in- 
structing the  child  concerning  its  own  baptism. 


HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING  65 

Let  it  understand  not  only  the  fact  of  its  bap- 
tism, but  the  nature,  benefits  and  obligations 
of  the  same.  It  certainly  has  a  most  salutary 
effect  to  impress  the  thought  on  the  child  fre- 
quently that  it  was  given  to  Christ  and  belongs 
to  Him — that  He  has  received  it  as  His  own, 
and  adopted  it  into  the  family  of  the  redeemed. 

Here  also  there  is  a  sad  neglect  on  the  part 
of  parents.  Many  never  say  a  word  to  their 
children  about  their  baptism.  Many  children 
even  grow  up  and  know  not  whether  they  are 
baptized  or  not.  This  is  certainly  un-Scriptural 
and  un-Lutheran.  "Know  ye  not/'  says  Paul, 
as  if  he  said,  have  you  forgotten  it?  "that  as 
many  of  us  as  have  been  baptized  into  Christ 
have  been  baptized  into  His  death  f  Doubtless 
if  we  appreciated  our  own  baptism  as  we 
should,  it  would  be  a  constant  source  of  com- 
fort, a  never-failing  fountain  of  Grace  to  us, 
and  to  our  children. 

The  Apostles  frequently  speak  of  the 
"Church  that  is  in  the  house.*'  By  this  they 
mean  such  a  household  as  we  have  tried  to  por- 
tray— a  home  where  the  religion  of  our  blessed 
Saviour  permeates  the  whole  atmosphere; 
where  the  "Word  of  God  dwells  richly;  where 
there  are  altars  of  prayer  and  closets  for  prayer 
— a  home  where  Jesus  is  a  daily,  a  well-known 
Guest ;  where  the  children,  baptized  into  Christ, 
are  nourished  with  the  milk  of  the  Word,  so 


66  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

that  they  grow  thereby,  increasing  more  and 
more,  growing  up  unto  Him  who  is  the  Head, 
even  Christ.  In  such  a  home  the  Church  is  in 
the  house,  and  the  household  in  the  Church. 
Blessed  home!  Blessed  children,  who  have 
such  parents,  who  have  thus  learned  God's  ways 
of  Grace!  No  anxious,  restless  parents  there, 
hoping  and  praying  that  their  children  may  be 
converted.  No  confused,  repelled  children 
there,  crying  because  Jesus  will  not  love  them 
till  they  "get  religion."  On  the  contrary, 
parents  and  children,  kneeling  at  one  altar, 
children  of  one  Father,  with  the  same  trust, 
the  same  hope,  the  same  Lord — hand  in  hand 
they  go  from  the  church  in  the  house  to  the 
house  of  God's  Church. 

Says  Dr.  Cuyler,  an  eminent  Presbyterian, 
* '  The  children  of  Christian  parents  ought  never 
to  need  conversion." 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

The  Sunday  School  in  Its  Relation  to  the 
Baptized  Children  of  Christian  Parents. 

WE  have  tried  to  set  forth  the  Lutheran  idea 
of  a  Christian  home.  In  such  a  home, 
called,  ''a  Church  in  the  House/'  all  ought  to  be 
Christians.  The  children  having  been  given 
and  consecrated  to  Christ  in  holy  baptism,  and 
having  had  His  renewing  and  life-giving  Grace 
imparted  to  them  through  that  Sacrament,  are 
to  be  kept  in  that  relationship  with  Him. 

The  popular  idea  that  they  must  of  necessity, 
during  the  most  impressible  and  important 
period  of  their  existence,  belong  to  the  world, 
the  flesh  and  the  devil,  is  utterly  foreign  to  the 
Lutheran,  or  Scriptural  view.  That  the  child 
is  fated,  for  a  number  of  years,  to  be  under  the 
influence  of  evil,  and  to  be  permitted  to  "sow 
wild  oats*'  before  divine  Grace  can  reach  it,  is 
certainly  a  principle  that  is  contradictory  to  the 
whole  scheme  of  salvation.  Yet  this  seems  to 
be  the  idea  of  those  parents  who  will  not  believe 
that  God  can  reach  and  change  the  nature  of  a 
child,  and  bring  it  out  of  the  state  of  nature 

67 


68  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

into  the  state  of  Grace,  and  keep  it  in  that 
Grace.  These  people  treat  their  children  much 
as  a  farmer  does  his  colts,  letting  them  run 
wild  for  a  while,  and  then  violently  breaking 
them  in. 

This  pernicious  idea  has  also  obtained  sway- 
to  an  alarming  extent  in  the  Sunday-school 
system  of  our  land.  The  children  in  the  Sun- 
day-school, whether  baptized  or  not,  whether 
from  Christian  or  from  Christless  homes,  are 
looked  upon  as  outsiders,  impenitent  sinners, 
utter  strangers  to  Christ  and  His  Grace,  until 
they  experience  such  a  marked  change  that 
they  can  tell  exactly  where  and  when  and  how 
they  were  converted.  Hence  the  popular  idea 
that  it  is  the  object  of  the  Sunday-school  to 
convert  the  children.  This  seems  to  be  the  un- 
derlying principle  of  both  the  American  Sun- 
day-school Union  and  the  American  Tract 
Society ;  institutions  otherwise  so  excellent  that 
we  are  loth  to  say  aught  against  either.  This 
idea  pervades  also  the  undenominational  helps 
and  comments  of  the  International  Lesson  Sys- 
tem. This  is  the  undertone  of  the  great  mass 
of  undenominational  Sunday-school  hymnology. 
It  is  the  key-note  of  the  County,  State,  National 
and  International  Sunday-school  Conventions 
and  Institutes.  So  popular  and  wide-spread  is 
this  idea  that  many  Lutheran  pastors,  Sunday- 
school  teachers  and  workers  have  unconsciously 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL   AND   BAPTIZED   CHILDKEN      69 

imbibed  it.  Even  some  of  our  own  Church 
papers,  sometimes  publish  articles  setting 
forth  the  idea  that  it  is  the  object  of  the 
Sunday-school  to  Christianize  the  children. 
As  though  the  baptized  children  of  the 
Church,  the  children  of  devout  Christian  par- 
ents, had  been  heathen,  until  Christianized  by 
the  Sunday-school!  Some  of  our  old  Sunday- 
school  constitutions  also  set  it  down  as  the  ob- 
ject of  the  school  to  '4ead  the  children  to 
Christ,"  or  to  ''labor  for  their  conversion." 

Now  we  believe  that  this  idea  is  un-scriptural 
and  therefore  un-Lutheran.  If  what  we  have 
written  in  the  preceding  chapters  on  baptismal 
Grace,  the  baptismal  covenant,  and  the  possi- 
bility of  keeping  that  covenant,  is  true,  then  this 
popular  idea,  is  false.  And  vice  versa,  if  this 
popular  view  is  correct,  then  the  whole  Lu- 
theran teaching  of  baptism,  baptismal  Grace, 
and  the  baptismal  covenant  must  fall  to  the 
ground. 

But  notwithstanding  the  immense  array  of 
opposition,  we  still  believe  that  the  Lutheran 
doctrine  is  nothing  else  than  the  pure  teaching 
of  God's  word.  Where  we  have  the  '^Church 
in  the  House,"  there  we  have  lambs  of  Christ's 
flock.  Ah,  how  many  more  we  could  have,  how 
many  more  we  would  have,  if  the  fathers  and 
mothers  in  the  Church  understood  this  precious 
article  of  our  faith,  and  prayerfully  built  their 


70  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

home  life  tliereon!  Then  would  there  be  a 
more  regular  and  healthful  growth  of  the 
Church,  and  the  necessity  for  fitful,  spasmodic 
revival  efforts  would  cease. 

From  our  Christian  homes  the  baptized  chil- 
dren of  the  Church  come  to  the  Sunday-school. 
How  is  the  school  to  treat  them? — ^We  speak 
now  of  the  baptized  children  from  Christian 
homes;  we  shall  speak  of  the  unbaptized  and 
untrained  further  on. 

These  children,  with  all  their  childish  way- 
wardness and  restlessness,  do  generally  love 
Jesus.  They  do  trust  in  Him,  and  are  unhappy 
when  they  know  that  they  have  committed  a  sin 
against  Him.  They  do,  when  taught,  pray  to 
Him,  believe  that  He  hears  their  prayers  and. 
loves  them.  Shall  the  teacher  now  begin  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  these 
little  ones  the  idea  that  they  are  not  yet 
Christ's,  and  that  Christ  has  nothing  to  do  with 
them,  except  to  seek  and  call  them,  until  they 
are  converted?  And  shall  they  go  home  from 
Sunday-school  with  the  impression  that  all  their 
prayers  have  been  empty  and  useless,  because 
their  hearts  have  not  been  changed?  Dare  the 
Sunday-school  thus  confuse  the  child,  raise 
doubts  as  to  Christ's  forgiveness  and  love,  and 
*' quench  the  Spirit?**  Oh  how  sad,  that  thus 
thousands  of  children  have  their  first  love,  their 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND   BAPTIZED   CHILDREN      71 

first  trust,  quenched  by  those  who  have  more 
zeal  than  knowledge ! 

No,  no,  these  are  Christ's  lambs.  They  come 
with  His  marks  upon  them.  Let  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  work  in  harmony  with  the  mother 
who  gave  these  children  to  Christ.  Let  the 
whole  atmosphere  of  the  school  impress  on  that 
child  the  precious  truth  that  it  is  Jesus*  little 
lamb.  Feed  that  lamb,  feed  it  with  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  Word.  Lead  that  lamb  gently ;  teach 
it  to  understand  its  relation  to  the  Great  Shep- 
herd, to  know  Him,  to  rejoice  in  His  love,  to 
love  His  voice,  to  follow  His  leadings  more  and 
more  closely. 

Instead  of  singing  doubtfully  and  dolefully: 

"I  am  young,  but  I  must  die. 
In  my  grave  I  soon  shall  lie. 
Am  I  ready  now  to  go, 
If  the  will  of  God  be  sa?" 


or. 


or, 


or, 


"Child  of  sin  and  sorrow 
Filled  with  dismay, 

Wait  not  for  to-morrow; 
Yield  thee  to-day." 


'Depth  of  mercy,  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  for  me?" 


'Hasten,  sinner,  to  be  wise, 
Stay  not  for  to-morrow's  sun; 


72  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

or, 

"I  can  but  perish  if  I  go, 

I  am  resolved  to  try. 
For,  if  I  stay  away,  I  know 
I  shall  forever  die." 

or, 

"When  saints  gather  round  Thee,  dear  Saviour  above. 
And  hasten  to  crown  Thee  with  jewels  of  love, 
Amid  those  bright  mansions  of  glory  so  fair — 
Oh,  tell  me,  dear  Saviour,  if  I  shall  be  there!" 

Some  of  these  sentiments  are  unscriptural. 
Some  may  do  for  grown  up  penitent  prodigals. 
But  all  are  out  of  place  on  the  lips  of  the  bap- 
tized children  of  the  Church.  Let  such  rather 
joyfully  sing: 

"I  am  Jesus'  little  lamb. 
Therefore  glad  and  gay  I  am; 
Jesus  loves  me,  Jesus  knows  me, 
All  that's  good  and  fair  He  shows  me. 
Tends  me   every  day  the  same. 
Even  calls  me  by  my  name," 

and  such  other  cheerful  and  healthy  hymns  as 
breathe  the  spirit  of  the  Church  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. 

This  we  believe  to  be  the  object  of  our  Sun- 
day-schools, as  far  as  the  baptized  children  of 
Christian  parents  are  concerned.  They  are  to 
be  helps,  to  keep  the  children  true  to  their 
baptismal  covenant,  and  to  enable  them  to  grow 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND   BAPTIZED   CHILDKEN      73 

strong  and  ever  stronger  against  sin  and  in 
holiness.  Jesus  did  not  tell  Peter  to  convert, 
but  to  feed  His  lambs. 

From  these  considerations  we  see  how  impor- 
tant it  is  for  Lutheran  Sunday-schools  to  have 
teachers  who  ''know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it 
he  true;"  who  are  "rooted  and  grounded  in  the 
faith;"  who  are  "ready  always  to  give  an  an- 
swer to  every  man  that  asketh  them  a  reason  of 
the  hope  that  is  in  them;"  who  are  "apt  to 
teach." 

A  teacher  who  does  not  understand  and  ap- 
preciate the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  baptism  is 
out  of  place  in  a  Lutheran  Sunday-school.  It 
is  certainly  not  desirable  to  have  the  child  in- 
structed at  home  that  it  was  given  to  Christ  in 
baptism,  received  and  owned  by  Him  and  be- 
longs to  Him,  and  then  have  the  Sunday-school 
teacher  teach  it  that  until  it  experiences  some 
remarkable  change,  which  the  teacher  cannot 
at  all  explain,  it  belongs  not  to  Christ,  but  to 
the  unconverted  world.  The  teaching  of  the 
pulpit,  the  catechetical  class,  the  home  and  the 
Sunday-school,  ought  certainly  to  be  in  perfect 
harmony — especially  so  on  the  vital  point  of  the 
personal  relation  of  the  child  to  the  Saviour 
and  His  salvation.  To  have  clashing  and  con- 
tradictory instruction  is  a  sure  way  to  sow  the 
seeds  of  doubt  and  skepticism. 

We  must  have  sound  instruction  and  influence 


74  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

in  the  Sunday-school,  and  to  this  end  we  must 
have  sound  and  clear  helps  and  equipments  for 
teacher  and  pupil.  The  worship  of  the  school, 
the  singing,  the  opening  and  closing  exercises, 
must  all  be  in  harmony  with  this  great  funda- 
mental idea  of  feeding  those  who  are  Christ's 
lambs. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Sunday  School — Its  Eelation  to  Those 

IN  Covenant  Relationship  with  Christ, 

AND  Also  to  the  Unbaptized  and 

Wandering. 

WE  are  still  speaking  of  the  dealing  of  the 
Sunday-school  with  the  baptized  children 
of  Christian  parents.  We  have  seen  how  im- 
portant it  is  that  the  Sunday-school  work  in 
harmony  with  the  pastor  and  the  parent.  We 
have  seen  that,  to  this  end,  it  is  especially  im- 
portant that  the  instruction  of  the  teacher  be 
in  harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  our  Church  on 
baptismal  Grace,  and  the  keeping  of  the  baptis- 
mal covenant. 

Here,  however,  we  meet  with  a  practical  diffi- 
culty. Too  many  of  our  teachers  are  not  clear 
themselves  on  this  subject.  Their  own  early 
instruction  may  have  been  imperfect.  Their 
whole  environment  may  have  been  unfavorable 
to  rooting  and  grounding  them  in  this  faith, 
once  delivered  to  the  saints.  This  old-fashioned 
faith,    as    we    have    seen,    has    become    un- 

75 


76  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

popular  with  tlie  masses  even  of  professing 
Cliristians. 

The  whole  current  of  the  religionism  of  the 
day  is  against  it.  In  many  localities  and  circles, 
to  profess  this  faith  is  to  invite  ridicule  and  op- 
position. The  Lutheran  Church  in  this  matter, 
as  in  others,  is  considered  behind  the  age,  be- 
cause the  age  is  away  ahead  of  Christ  and  the 
Apostles,  the  Church  Fathers  and  the  Ee- 
formers. 

What  wonder  then  that  in  many  places,  our 
members,  on  whom  we  must  depend  for  teach- 
ers, have  unconsciously  drifted  away  from  the 
old  landmarks,  and  are  altogether  at  sea  as  to 
God's  means  and  methods  of  Grace,  especially 
with  the  children? 

It  is,  therefore,  a  matter  of  the  gravest  im- 
portance that  our  Church  place  in  the  hands  of 
her  willing  but  inexperienced  teachers  such 
plain,  pactical  and  full  helps  and  equipments  as 
will  enable  them  to  be  safe  and  successful  in- 
structors in  our  Sunday-schools.  Our  good 
teachers  are  always  willing  to  learn.  They  need 
to  be  and  want  to  be  first  taught.  They  need 
clear,  sound  exposition,  illustration  and  appli- 
cation of  every  lesson  for  themselves,  before 
they  can  successfully  teach  others.  They  need 
to  be  shown  in  every  lesson,  how  the  divine 
Word  everywhere  sets  forth  the  precious  doc- 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  UNBAPTIZED  CHILDREN     77 

trines  of  our  Cliiircli.*  They  need  to  be  shown 
over  and  over  again,  how  these  doctrines  are 
to  be  impressed  and  applied  to  the  heart,  con- 
science, and  life  of  the  pupil ;  and  how  the  truth 
is  to  be  so  instilled  that  it  may,  by  means  of 
every  lesson,  awaken  and  deepen  a  sense  of 
sinfulness  and  repentance  therefor,  and  beget 
and  increase  faith  and  love  for  the  dear  Sav- 
iour. Every  lesson  that  does  not  make  sin  more 
hateful  and  Christ  more  precious  is,  in  so  far, 
a  failure. 

From  what  we  have  learned  in  the  last  chap- 
ter, a  Lutheran  Sunday-school  cannot  safely  use 
the  literature,  whether  lesson  leaves,  lesson 
helps,  or  hymns,  of  others.  And  this  simply  be- 
cause their  sentiment  is  not  only  at  variance 
with,  but  openly  hostile  to  our  faith.  It  is  there- 
fore even  more  important  for  our  Church  than 
for  any  other,  to  furnish  all  the  necessary 
equipments  for  good,  sound,  live  Sunday- 
schools.  Our  equipments  ought  to  aim  to  be- 
come more  and  more  superior  to  all  others.  The 
Church   should   strive   to   constantly   improve 

*For  all  this  we  need  Teacher-training  Classes,  taught 
by  the  pastors,  in  evei-y  Sunday  School.  S.  S.  Teachers' 
Institutes  and  summer  schools,  real  normals,  of  long 
enough  duration,  for  S.  S.  teachers  and  Church  workers. 
If  our  Church  does  not  furnish  these  helps  for  her  S.  S. 
teachers  she  must  not  complain  if  they  go  elsewhere  for 
their  training.  In  every  great  city  we  need  a  Lutheran 
Bible  School  like  Moody's  or  White's. 


78  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

them  until  they  become  so  desirable  and  attrac- 
tive that  no  Lutheran  school  would  think  of 
exchanging  them  for  any  others.* 

We  hope  to  see  the  day  when  our  Church  will 
lead  in  all  these  practical  enterprises,  even  as 
she  has  led  and  still  leads  in  the  sphere  of 
sound  doctrine. 

In  these  two  chapters  on  Sunday-school  work, 
we  have  thus  far  spoken  only  of  the  relation 
of  the  school  to  the  baptized  children  of  Chris- 
tian parents.  A  Sunday-school  has,  however, 
by  no  means  fulfilled  its  mission  by  looking 
only  after  those  who  are  already  lambs  of  the 
flock.  A  Sunday-school,  like  a  congregation, 
to  be  true  to  itself  and  to  its  divine  Master, 
must  be  a  missionary  institution.  In  every 
community  there  are  lambs  who  have  never 
been  in  the  flock  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  or  have 
already  wandered  away.  There  are  children 
who  have  never  been  either  baptized  or  in- 
structed in  heavenly  things.  Or,  if  baptized, 
they  have  been  permitted  to  grow  up  after- 
wards as  wild  as  heathen  children.  Yes,  even  in 
the  homes  of  members  of  our  own  Church,  there 
are  children,  whether  baptized  or  not,  who  are 
thus  growing  up  utterly  neglected.  If  baptized, 
they  don't  even  know  it.  Much  less  do  they 
know  the  significance  of  their  baptism. 

*  See  Problems  and  Possibilities  p.  103  ff.  and  also  Chap- 
ter X  of  same  book. 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  UNBAPTIZED  CHILDREN     79 

It  is  the  mission  of  the  Sunday-school  to 
gather  in  these  destitute  ones,  from  the  street, 
and  from  their  Christless  homes.  This  is  one 
effectual  form  of  Lutheran  Evangelism.  The 
Sunday-school  must  become  a  spiritual  home 
for  them.  The  earnest  teacher  can  and  ought 
to  find  out  who  of  his  pupils  belong  to  this  class, 
and  apply  to  such  the  needed  instruction  and 
exhortation.  In  their  case  it  is  truly  the  object 
of  the  Sunday-school  to  lead  them  to  Jesus,  to 
labor  for  their  conversion,  to  Christianize  them. 
This,  as  a  matter  of  course,  also  applies  to 
those,  even  from  Christian  homes,  who  were 
baptized,  and  perhaps  also,  to  some  extent,  in- 
structed in  divine  things,  but  who  have  gone 
astray,  and  have  thus  fallen  from  their  bap- 
tismal covenant.  All  such,  who  are  not  at 
present  in  covenant  relationship  with  Christ, 
who  are  turned  away  from  Christ,  must  be 
turned  back,  i.  e.,  converted. 

Now  this  difficult  work,  this  great  change,  can 
be  accomplished  only  through  the  power  of 
God's  Word.  "The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect, 
converting  the  soul."  "The  Gospel  of  Christ  is 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation."  The  words 
of  Christ,  "they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life." 
If  sinners,  whether  young  or  old,  are  to  be  re- 
claimed for  Christ,  it  must  be  through  that 
Word  which  "is  quich" — i.  e.,  full  of  life — "and 
powerful  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword." 


80  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Let  the  Sunday-school  teacher  depend  on 
nothing  else  than  this  Word  of  God.  It  is  al- 
ways accompanied  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  is 
the  living  soul  of  the  new  life.  Let  it  be  used 
prayerfully.  Let  it  be  taught  carefully.  Let  it 
be  taught  clearly.  Let  it  be  impressed  and  ap- 
plied to  heart,  and  conscience,  and  life.  Drive 
it  home  personally  and  individually  to  the  im- 
penitent pupil.  See  him  by  himself,  visit  him  in 
his  home,  teach  him  in  his  class.  Cease  not 
your  prayers  and  your  efforts  till  the  Word  so 
lodge  and  fasten  itself  in  the  mind  and  con- 
science that  it  makes  him  realize  his  own  sinful- 
ness and  his  need  of  a  Saviour,  and  also  that 
Saviour's  readiness  to  save.  This  is  God's  way 
of  salvation.  This  is  the  Way  of  Salvation  in 
the  Lutheran  Church.  The  Sunday-school 
teacher  who  follows  this  way  will  win  souls. 
The  impenitent  sinners  of  his  class  will  be 
brought  to  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  or  in  one  word,  they 
will  be  converted ;  whilst  those  who  are  already 
Christ's  will  grow  in  Grace  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

Where  this  is  faithfully  and  persistently  done 
there  the  Sunday-school  teacher  is  doing  a  truly 
scriptural  and  a  most  blessed  evangelistic  work. 
Let  us  have  more  of  it.  It  is  sorely  needed  in 
city,  in  village  and  in  the  open  country. 


CIHAPTER  IX. 

Catechisation. 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  importance  and  bene- 
fits of  home  training  and  instruction.  We 
endeavored  to  show  that  Christian  parents  are 
under  the  most  solemn  obligation  to  instruct 
their  children  in  the  truth  of  God's  Word.  We 
also  endeavored  to  show  that,  in  order  to  give 
their  children  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
saving  truths  of  the  Bible,  they  could  do  no 
better  than  to  diligently  teach  them  Luther's 
Small  Catechism;  that  this  was  really  Luther's 
idea  and  purpose  when  he  wrote  that  excellent 
little  religious  manual ;  that  the  first  catecheti- 
cal class  ought  indeed  to  be  in  the  family, 
with  father  and  mother  as  teachers ; — that  this 
home  class  ought  to  be  carried  on  so  long  and 
so  persistently,  that  in  it  the  children  would 
become  perfectly  familiar  with  the  contents  of 
the  book;  so  familiar  indeed,  that  they  would 
know  all  the  parts  that  Luther  wrote  perfectly 
by  heart.  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  i.  e.,  the 
parts  that  Luther  wrote  himself,  is  really  quite 
a  small  book.    By  giving  only  a  little  time  and 

81 


82  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

attention  to  it  each  week,  the  parents  could 
easily,  in  a  few  years,  have  all  their  children 
know  it  as  perfectly  as  they  know  their  multi- 
plication table.    And  such  ought  to  be  the  case. 

After  these  beginnings  have  thus  been  made, 
and  while  the  home  instruction  is  still  going 
on,  the  work  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher 
comes  in  as  a  help  to  the  home  class.  In  every 
Sunday-school  class  there  ought  to  be,  with  each 
lesson,  some  instruction  in  the  Catechism.  To 
this  end  each  teacher,  in  a  Lutheran  Sunday- 
school,  ought  to  be  familiarly  at  home  in  this 
most  important  text-book.  The  teacher  should 
endeavor  so  to  teach  these  lessons,  that  the 
pupil  would  learn  to  love  and  appreciate  the 
Catechism  more  and  more.  Thus,  the  school 
ought  to  be  a  helper  to  the  home.  And  thus, 
home  and  school  together,  working  in  harmony 
for  the  same  end,  would  prepare  the  children 
for  the  pastor's  catechetical  class. 

If  this  good  old-fashioned  custom  were  kept 
up  in  all  our  households  and  schools,  then 
would  the  pastor's  catechetical  class  be  more 
of  a  pleasure  and  a  profit  to  himself  and  his 
catechumens.  It  would  then  be  the  pastor's 
part,  as  it  should  be,  to  review  the  contents 
with  his  class,  and  thus  to  find  how  well  the 
preparatory  work  had  been  done.  Then  he 
could  devote  his  time  and  energy  to  what  should 
be  really  the  pastor's  part  of  the  work,  vis.,  to 


CATECHISATION"  83 

explain  and  set  forth  clearly  tlie  meaning  of 
the  Catechism,  and  show  how  it  all  applies  to 
the  heart  and  life  of  every  one. 

It  is  not  at  all  the  pastor  *s  place,  and  it 
should  never  be  expected  of  him,  to  act  the 
school-master,  to  see  to  and  oversee  the  memor- 
izing of  the  answers.  It  is  his  office  to  expound 
and  apply  the  truth,  to  make  the  doctrines  clear 
to  the  minds  of  the  learners,  and  to  show  how 
they  are  all  related  to  the  individual  life. 

But,  alas,  how  little  is  this  understood  or 
practiced!  How  many  parents,  who  call  them- 
selves Christians,  and  Lutherans,  seem  to  think 
that  they  have  nothing  to  do  in  this  whole  mat- 
ter !  They  seem  to  think  that  if  they  send  their 
children  once  a  week,  for  a  few  months,  to  the 
pastor's  class,  they  have  done  their  whole  duty. 
They  do  not  even  help  and  encourage  the  chil- 
dren to  learn  the  lessons  that  the  pastor  as- 
signs. And  thus  does  this  part  of  the  pastor's 
work,  which  ought  to  be  among  the  most  de- 
lightful of  all  his  duties,  become  wearisome  to 
the  flesh  and  vexatious  to  the  spirit.  Scarcely 
anywhere  else  in  all  his  duties  does  a  pastor 
feel  so  helpless  and  hopeless  and  discouraged, 
as  when  standing  week  after  week  before  a 
class  of  young  people  who  have  such  poor  in- 
structors at  home. 

Christian  parents,  if  you  desire  your  sons 
and  your  daughters  to  become  steadfast  and 


84  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

useful  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  see 
to  it  that  you  do  your  part  in  their  religious 
instruction.  Insist  on  it,  and  use  your  parental 
authority,  if  necessary,  that  your  children  learn 
the  Catechism  and  regularly  attend  the  pastor 's 
instructions. 

We  believe  that  the  trouble  in  this  matter  lies 
largely  in  the  fact  that  in  many  quarters  cate- 
chisation  has  become  unpopular  in  our  fast 
age.  It  is  looked  upon  as  a  mark  of  old-fogy- 
ism,  if  not  as  an  evidence  of  the  absence  of 
** spiritual  religion!"  The  new  measures  and 
methods  of  modern  revivals  are  more  accept- 
able to  the  fickle  multitude.  They  seem  to 
point  out  a  shorter  route  and  quicker  time  to 
heaven.  As  a  boy  once  said  to  the  writer:  **I 
don't  want  to  belong  to  your  church,  because 
I  would  have  to  study  the  Catechism  all  winter, 
and  down  at  the  other  church  I  can  'get 
through'  in  one  night."  That  boy  expressed 
about  as  clearly  and  tersely  as  could  well  be 
done,  the  popular  sentiment  of  the  day. 

Yielding  to  this  popular  sentiment,  many 
churches,  that  once  adhered  strictly  and  firmly 
to  the  catechetical  method,  have  either  drop- 
ped it  entirely  or  are  gradually  giving  it  up. 
And  in  order  to  clothe  their  spiritual  ignor- 
ance and  laziness  in  a  pious  garb,  they  say: 
*'The  Bible  is  enough  for  us."  **We  don't 
need  any  man-made  Catechisms."    **It  is  all 


CATECHISATION  85 

wrong  anyhow  to  place  a  human  book  on  a 
level  with  or  above  the  Bible."  "We  and  our 
children  want  our  religion  from  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  not  from  a  Church  Catechism." 

Do  such  people  know  what  they  are  talking 
about,  or  do  they  sometimes  use  these  pious 
phrases  to  quiet  a  guilty  conscience?  Do  they 
know  what  a  Catechism  is  ? 

Look  at  it  for  a  moment.  What  is  the  nature 
and  object  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism?  Is 
it  in  the  nature  of  a  substitute  for  the  Bible? 
Does  it  purpose  to  set  aside  the  Bible?  We 
can  scarcely  muster  patience  enough  to  write 
such  questions.    No !   No ! 

Any  child  that  can  read  this  little  book  knows 
better.  The  plainest  reader  cannot  fail  to  see 
that  it  is  intended  as  a  help  to  understand  the 
Bible.  Its  purpose  clearly  is  to  awaken  and 
develop  in  the  reader  or  learner  a  more  intelli- 
gent appreciation  and  love  for  the  Bible.  It 
contains  nothing  but  Bible  truth.  Its  design 
is  simply  this:  To  summarize  and  systematize 
the  most  important  truths  and  doctrines  of  the 
divine  Word:  To  so  arrange  and  group  them 
that  even  a  child  may  learn  what  the  Bible 
teaches  as  to  creation,  sin,  salvation,  and  the 
means  whereby  it  may  be  attained. 

We  have  the  assurance,  also — and  we  believe 
that  history  and  observation  will  bear  out  the 
statement — that  those  who  appreciate  and  have 


S6  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

studied  a  sound  scriptural  CatecMsm  most 
thoroughly,  appreciate,  understand,  love  and 
live  their  Bibles  most  sincerely. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Contents,  Aekangement  and  Excellence  of 
Luther's  Small  Catechism. 

WE  have  spoken  of  Luther's  Small  Cate- 
chism as  a  help  with  which  to  lay  hold  of 
and  to  understand  the  most  important  truths 
of  the  Bible.  These  fundamental  truths  are 
taken  from  the  Scriptures,  and  are  so  grouped, 
arranged  and  explained  in  the  Catechism  that 
the  learner  can  easily  grasp  and  understand 
them.  That  some  of  the  truths  contained  in 
the  Bible  are  of  greater  importance  than  others 
will  scarcely  be  denied. 

It  is  certainly  more  important  that  the  child 
should  know  and  understand  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, than  that  it  should  be  familiar  with  all 
the  details  of  the  ceremonial  law.  Certainly 
better  to  be  familiar  with  the  Apostles'  Creed, 
than  to  know  all  about  the  building  of  the 
Temple.  Better  be  able  to  repeat  and  under- 
stand the  Lord's  Prayer,  than  to  have  a  clear 
knowledge  of  the  elaborate  ritual  of  the  Temple 
service.     Better  understand  the  meaning  of 

87 


88  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Christ's  two  Sacraments  than  to  be  able  to 
tell  all  about  the  great  feasts  of  the  Jews. 

If  any  one  can  know  all  these  other  matters 
also,  so  much  the  better.  The  Catechism  will 
certainly  be  a  help  instead  of  a  hindrance  to 
this  end.  But  if  all  cannot  be  learned — at  least 
not  at  once — let  the  most  important  be  taught 
first.    And  for  this  we  have  a  Catechism. 

Look  at  its  contents.  It  is  divided  into  five 
parts.  Each  division  treats  of  a  separate  sub- 
ject. The  first  contains  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, with  a  brief  and  clear  explanation  of 
each  Commandment.  The  second  part  has  the 
three  articles  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,  with  a 
clear  and  most  beautiful  explanation  of  each 
one.  The  third  is  the  Lord's  Prayer,  its  intro- 
duction, the  seven  petitions,  and  the  conclusion ; 
with  a  terse,  though  comprehensive  explana- 
tion of  each  sentence.  The  fourth  and  fifth 
parts  treat  similarity  of  the  two  sacraments, 
Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Here  then  we  have,  in  a  brief  space,  the  most 
important  teachings  of  the  whole  Bible  sys- 
tematically arranged  and  clearly  explained.  Of 
these  contents  and  their  arrangement,  Luther 
himself  says: 

**This  Catechism  is  truly  the  Bible  of  the 
laity  (or  common  people),  wherein  is  contained 
the  entire  doctrine  necessary  to  be  known  by 
every  Christian  for  salvation.    Here  we  have 


luthee's  small,  catechism  89 

first  the  Ten  Commandments  of  God,  the  doc- 
trine of  doctrines,  by  which  the  will  of  God  is 
known,  what  God  would  have  us  to  do  and  what 
is  wanting  in  us. 

* '  Secondly :  The  Apostles  *  Creed,  the  history 
of  histories  or  the  highest  history,  wherein  are 
delivered  to  us  the  wonderful  works  of  God 
from  the  beginning,  how  we  and  all  creatures 
are  created  by  God,  how  all  are  redeemed  by 
the  Son  of  God,  how  we  are  also  received  and 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  collected  to- 
gether to  a  people  of  God,  and  have  the 
remission  of  sins  and  everlasting  salvation. 

''Thirdly:  The  Lord's  Prayer,  the  prayer 
of  prayers,  the  highest  prayer  which  the  high- 
est Master  taught,  wherein  are  included  all 
temporal  and  spiritual  blessings,  and  comfort 
in  trouble  and  in  the  hour  of  death. 

''Fourthly:  The  blessed  Sacraments,  the 
ceremonies  of  ceremonies,  which  God  himself 
has  instituted  and  ordained,  and  therein  as- 
sured us  of  his  Grace." 

John  Arndt,  in  a  sermon  on  the  Catechism, 
says:  "The  Catechism  is  a  brief  instruction 
in  the  Christian  religion,  and  includes  in  itself 
the  doctrine  of  the  Law  of  God,  Christian  Faith, 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  institutions  of  Holy 
Baptism  and  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  five 
parts  are  an  epitome  and  kernel  of  the  entire 


90  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Holy  Scriptures,  for  which  reason  it  is  called 
a  'Little  Bible.'  " 

Dr.  Seiss,  in  his  Ecclesia  Lutherana,  says: 
*'It  is  the  completest  summary  of  the  contents 
of  the  Bible  ever  given  in  the  same  number  of 
words.  It  gave  to  the  reviving  Church  a  text- 
book for  the  presentation  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus  to  the  school,  lecture-room  and  pulpit. 

The  sainted  Dr.  Krauth  says:  **The  Cate- 
chism is  a  thread  through  the  labyrinth  of 
divine  wonders.  Persons  often  get  confused, 
but  if  they  wUl  hold  on  to  this  Catechism  it  will 
lead  them  through  without  being  lost.  It  is 
often  called  the  'Little  Bible'  and  'the  Bible 
of  the  laity'  because  it  presents  the  plain  and 
simple  doctrines  of  the  Holy  Book  in  its  own 
words.  Pearls  strung  are  easily  carried,  un- 
strung they  are  easily  lost.  The  Catechism  is 
a  string  of  Bible  Pearls.  The  order  of  arrange- 
ment is  the  historical — the  Law,  Faith,  Prayer, 
Sacrament  of  Baptism,  and  all  crowned  with 
the  Lord's  Supper — ^just  as  God  worked  them 
out  and  fixed  them  in  history." 

Thus  we  might  go  on  quoting  page  after  page 
of  words  of  admiration  and  praise,  from  the 
greatest  minds  in  our  own  and  in  other 
Churches,  of  the  contents  and  arrangement  of 
this  little  book.  Neither  can  we  charge  these 
writers  with  extravagance  in  their  utterances. 
For  the  more  we  examine  and  study  the  pages 


Luther's  small,  catechism  91 

of  this  little  book,  the  more  we  are  convinced 
that  it  is  unique  and  most  admirable  in  its 
matter  and  plan. 

Let  each  one  look  for  a  moment  into  himself, 
and  then  from  himself  into  this  little  book  after 
this  manner. 

I  come  into  this  world  ignorant,  yet  full  of 
presentiments  and  questions.  I  learn  my  first 
vague  lesson  about  myself  and  God.  I  naturally 
ask :  For  what  purpose  has  God  put  me  here  ? 
What  does  He  wish  me  to  do?  The  Catechism 
answers:  To  do  His  will,  to  keep  His  com- 
mandments. Here  they  are,  and  this  is  what 
they  mean.  I  study  them,  and  the  more  I  study 
them,  the  more  am  I  convinced  that  I  never  did 
and  never  can  perfectly  keep  this  law. 

I  ask  again:  What  then  shall  I  do?  My 
Catechism  tells  me  I  must  have  faith.  I  must 
believe.  But  what  shall  I  believe?  Answer: 
This  summary  of  truth  called  the  Apostles' 
Creed.  It  tells  me  of  my  Creator — His  work 
and  providence,  and  His  gift  of  a  Redeemer.  It 
tells  me  of  that  Redeemer  and  His  redemption ; 
of  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  His  application 
of  redemption.  It  not  only  tells  me  what  to 
believe,  but  in  the  very  telling  it  gives  me 
power  to  believe. 

But  I  am  still  weak  and  more  or  less  per- 
plexed. Whither  shall  I  go  for  more  strength 
and  Grace?    My  Catechism  furnishes  the  an- 


92  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

swer :  Go  to  the  great  Triune  God.  Ask  Him 
in  prayer.  Here  is  a  model.  It  will  teach  you 
how  to  pray. 

I  learn  what  it  is  to  pray.  But  again  I 
ask:  How  do  I  know  that  God  will  hear  my 
prayer?  Is  He  interested  in  me  personally? 
Has  He  any  other  means  besides  His  written 
Word  to  assure  me  of  His  love  and  to  give 
me,  in  answer  to  my  prayers,  encouragement 
to  believe  Him  and  love  Him? 

My  Catechism  points  me  to  my  baptism.  It 
teaches  me  what  it  means,  and  how  that  in  it 
I  have  God's  own  pledge  that  He  is  my  Father 
who  has  renewed,  reconciled  and  adopted  me, 
and  that  I  am  truly  His  child.  Here  then  is  a 
fountain  to  which  I  can  return  again  and 
again  when  weak  and  perplexed. 

Further,  my  Catechism  teaches  me  concern- 
ing my  Saviour's  last  legacy  of  love  before 
His  death  for  me.  His  Holy  Supper.  In  it 
He  holds  out  to  me  and  gives  to  me,  personally 
and  individually.  Himself  and  all  His  heavenly 
Grace.  For  my  famishing  soul  this  holy 
Sacrament  is  meat  indeed  and  drink  indeed. 

Thus  does  this  little  Catechism  meet  me  in 
my  perplexity,  take  me  by  the  hand,  and  lead 
me  through  the  labyrinth  of  the  wonders  of 
Grace.  Thus  does  it  tell  me  what  I  am,  what 
I  need,  and  where  and  how  to  get  what  I  need. 
It  takes  me  to  the  wells  of  salvation.    It  draws 


LUTHER'S    SMALL    CATECHISM  93 

from  them  living  water.  It  holds  it  to  my 
parched  lips.  It  gathers  the  precious  mamia 
of  the  Word,  and  feeds  me  when  I  am  faint 
and  weary. 

Such  is  Luthei^'s  Small  Catechism.  Is  it 
any  wonder  that  we  love  it  I  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  we  count  the  study  of  it  a  part  of  the 
Way  of  Salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church?  * 

*  On  the  wisdom  of  the  arrangement  and  sequence  of 
Luther's  Five  Parts  see  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  pp.  95-102. 


CHAPTER  XL 

Manner  and  Object  of  Teaching  Luthee's 
Catechism. 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  importance  of  cate- 
chisation.  We  have  seen  that  Luther's 
Small  Catechism  is  indeed  a  priceless  Bible 
manual.  It  sets  before  us,  in  matchless  order, 
God's  plan  of  salvation.  It  is  so  full  and  yet 
so  brief,  so  doctrinal  and  yet  so  warm  and 
hearty.  ''The  only  Catechism,"  says  Dr. 
Loehe,  "that  can  be  prayed."  "It  may  be 
bought  for  sixpence,*'  says  Dr.  Jonas,  "but 
six  thousand  worlds  could  not  pay  for  it. ' ' 

No  wonder  that  no  book  outside  of  the  Bible 
has  been  translated  into  so  many  languages, 
or  circulated  so  widely.  Thirty-seven  years 
after  its  publication  one  hundred  thousand 
copies  were  in  circulation.  The  first  book 
translated  into  any  of  the  dialects  of  the 
American  Indian,  it  was  from  its  pages  that 
the  red  man  read  his  first  lessons  concerning 
the  true  God,  and  his  own  relations  to  that 
God.  At  the  present  day  it  is  taught  in  a  score 
of  different  languages  in  our  own  land.* 

♦On  the  history  of  Luther's  Small  Catechism  see  The 
Lutheran  Catechist,  Chapter  vii. 

94 


TEACHING  LUTHER 'S  CATECHISM  95 

And  yet  how  sadly  neglected  and  abused, 
even  by  those  who  bear  its  author's  name!    It 
is  neglected,  if  not  entirely  ignored,  in  count- 
less Lutheran  homes  and  Sunday-schools.     It 
is  even  neglected  by  many  so-called  Lutheran 
pastors.    They  set  at  naught  the  testimony  of 
four   centuries.      They    set    their    own    opin- 
ions  above   the   testimony  of   the   wisest,   as 
well  as  the  most  deeply  spiritual  and  conse- 
crated witnesses  of  their  own  Church.     They 
prefer  the  baseless,  shallow,  short-cut  methods 
of  this  superficial  age.     Some  of  them  have 
even  joined  in  the  cry  of  the  fanatic,  and  called 
all  catechisation  in  the  Church  dead  formalism ! 
Fortunately,  their  number  is  growing  rapidly 
less,  and  many,  who  for  a  while  were  car- 
ried away  with  the  tide  of  new  measures,  are 
asking  for  and  returning  to  the  good  and  tried 
old  ways. 

Not  only  is  this  Catechism  neglected,  but  it 
is  and  has  been  much  abused.  Abused,  not 
only  by  its  enemies,  who  have  said  hard  things 
against  it,  but  it  has  been  and  still  is  abused, 
like  all  good  things,  by  its  professed  friends. 
And  doubtless  it  is  the  abuse  by  its  friends  that 
is  largely  responsible  for  much  of  the  neglect 
and  contempt  into  which  it  sometimes  has  fal- 
len. Thus  in  the  family,  it  is  still  too  often 
taught  as  a  mere  task.  The  home  teacher  often 
has  no  higher  aim  than  that  the  children  should 


96  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

learn  it  by  rote — learn  to  rattle  it  off  like  the 
multiplication  table,  or  the  rules  of  grammar. 

Worse  than  this,  it  has  often  been  used  as 
an  instrument  of  punishment.  A  child  has 
done  something  wrong.  It  is  angrily  told  that 
for  this  it  must  learn  a  page  or  two  of  the 
Catechism!  The  task  is  sullenly  learned  and 
sullenly  recited;  and  the  Catechism  is  hated 
worse  than  the  sin  committed.  Then,  too,  it  is 
slurred  over  in  the  Sunday-schools,  without 
an  earnest  word  of  explanation  or  application. 
The  learner  does  not  realize  that  it  is  meant 
to  move  the  heart  and  to  influence  the  life. 

This  same  sad  mistake  is  also  made  by  many 
pastors  in  the  catechetical  class.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem,  this  mistake  is  most  commonly 
made  by  those  very  pastors  who  profess  to 
be  the  warmest  friends  of  and  the  most  zealous 
insisters  on  the  catechisation  of  every  lamb  in 
the  flock.  Thus  we  find  not  a  few  pastors  who 
catechise  their  classes  after  the  schoolmaster 
fashion.  They  go  through  the  exercise  in  a 
perfunctory,  formal  manner.  They  insist  on 
the  letter  of  the  text,  and  are  satisfied  if  their 
pupils  know  the  lessons  well  by  rote !  To  urge 
on  the  dull  and  lazy  pupil  they  will  scold  and 
rage,  and  even  use  the  rod!  The  Catechism 
becomes  a  mere  text-book.  The  pupils  get  out 
of  it  a  certain  amount  of  head  knowledge. 
There  are  so  many  answers  and  so  many  proof- 


TEACHING  LUTHEB's  CATECHISM  97 

texts  that  must  be  committed  to  memory.  And 
when  all  this  is  well  gotten  and  recited  by  rote, 
the  teacher  is  satisfied,  the  pupil  is  praised, 
imagines  that  he  has  gotten  all  the  good  out 
of  that  book,  and  is  glad  that  he  is  done  with  it ! 
Now  we  would  not  for  a  moment  depreciate 
the  memorizing  of  the  Catechism.  It  is  of  the 
most  vital  importance,  and  cannot  be  too 
strongly  urged.  "What  we  object  to — and  we 
cannot  object  too  strenuously — is  the  idea  that 
head  knowledge  is  enough!  There  must  of 
course  be  head  knowledge.  The  memory  should 
store  up  all  the  precious  pearls  of  God's  truth 
that  are  found  in  the  Catechism.  The  mind 
must  grasp  these  truths  and  understand  their 
meaning  and  their  relation  to  one  another.  But 
if  it  stops  here,  it  is  not  yet  a  knowledge  that 
maketh  wise  unto  salvation.  In  spiritual  mat- 
ters the  enlightening  or  instructing  of  the  in- 
tellect is  not  the  end  aimed  at,  but  only  a  means 
to  an  end.  The  end  aimed  at  must  always  be 
the  renewal  of  the  heart.  The  heart  must  be 
reached  through  the  understanding.  To  know 
about  Christ  is  not  life  eternal.  I  must  know 
about  Him  before  I  can  know  Him.  But  I 
might  know  all  about  Him,  be  perfectly  clear 
as  to  His  person  and  His  work,  and  stop  there 
without  ever  knowing  Him  as  heart  only  can 
know  heart,  as  my  personal  Saviour,  my  Lord 
and  my  God. 


98  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Here,  we  fear,  many  ministers  make  a  sad 
mistake.  They  are  too  easily  satisfied  with  a 
mere  outward  knowledge  of  the  truth.  They 
forget  that  even  if  it  were  possible  to  ^binder- 
stand  all  mystery  and  all  knowledge*^ — intel- 
lectually— and  not  have  charity,  i.  e.,  deep,  fer- 
vent, glowing  love  to  God  in  Christ,  springing 
from  a  truly  penitent  and  believing  heart,  it 
would  profit  nothing.  The  true  aim  and  end 
of  all  catechetical  instruction  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  in  the  family,  and  especially  in  the 
pastor's  class,  should  ever  be  a  penitent,  believ- 
ing and  loving  heart  in  each  catechumen. 

We  have,  in  a  former  chapter,  shown  the 
duty  of  the  Sunday-school  teacher  in  this  mat- 
ter. The  pastor  should  likewise  use  all  dili- 
gence to  find  out  in  whom,  among  his  catechu- 
mens, the  germs  of  the  divine  life,  implanted 
in  baptism,  have  been  kept  alive,  and  in  whom 
they  are  dormant.  Where  the  divine  life,  given 
in  holy  baptism,  has  been  fostered  and  cher- 
ished— ^where  there  has  been  an  uninterrupted 
enjoyment  of  baptismal  Grace,  more  or  less 
clear  and  conscious — there  it  is  the  pastor's 
privilege  to  give  clearer  views  of  truth  and 
Grace,  to  lead  into  a  more  intelligent  and 
hearty  fellowship  with  the  Eedeemer,  to  deepen 
penitence  and  to  strengthen  faith  through  the 
quickening  truth  of  God 's  word. 

Where,  on  the  other  hand,  the  seeds  of  bap- 


TEACHING  LUTHER 'S  CATECHISM  99 

tismal  Grace  have  been  neglected,  where  the 
germs  of  the  new  life  lie  dormant  or  asleep,  or 
where  there  never  has  been  any  implanting  of 
Grace  through  Word  or  Sacrament — in  short, 
where  there  are  no  pulsations,  no  manifesta- 
tions of  the  new  life,  there  the  pastor  has  a 
different  duty.  He  must  endeavor  to  so  bring 
the  acquired  truth  to  bear  on  the  conscience 
and  heart,  as  to  awaken  and  bring  about  a  sense 
of  sin,  a  genuine  sorrow  therefor,  a  hatred 
thereof,  a  longing  for  deliverance,  a  turning  to 
Christ  and  a  laying  hold  on  Him  as  the  only 
help  and  the  only  hope. 

Thus  the  one  great  aim  and  object  of  the 
conscientious  pastor,  with  each  impenitent 
catechumen,  is  to  awaken  and  bring  about 
genuine,  heartfelt  penitence  and  a  true,  trust- 
ing, clinging  faith.  In  one  word,  he  must  labor 
for  that  catechumen's  conversion.  Only  those 
of  whom  there  is  evidence  that  they  are  in  a 
converted  state  should  be  admitled  to  confirma- 
tion. 

By  this  we  do  not  mean,  as  some  do,  that 
each  one  must  be  able  to  tell  when,  and  where, 
and  how  he  was  converted.  We  mean  simply 
this:  That  each  one  must  have  in  his  heart 
true  penitence,  i.  e.,  sorroAv  for  and  hatred  of 
sin,  and  true  faith,  i.  e.,  a  confiding,  trustful 
embracing  of  Christ  as  the  only  Saviour. 

Whether  these  elements  of  the  new  life  have 


100  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

been  constantly  and  uninterruptedly  developed 
from  Baptism,  or  whether  they  have  been 
awakened  gradually  by  the  Word,  is  not  ma- 
terial. The  only  important  question  is:  Are 
the  elements  of  the  new  life  now  there — even 
though  as  yet  feeble  and  very  imperfect — is 
the  person  now  turned  away  from  sin  to  a 
Saviour?  If  so,  we  consider  that  person  in  a 
converted  state. 

This  much,  we  believe,  should  be  demanded 
of  each  catechumen  before  he  is  admitted  to 
the  rite  of  confirmation.  It  is  largely  because 
this  has  not  been  demanded  as  the  only  true 
and  satisfactory  result  of  catechisation,  that 
this  important  branch  of  the  Church's  activity 
has  so  largely  fallen  into  disrepute.  It  is  doubt- 
less because  of  carelessness  on  this  point  that 
so  many  fall  back  after  confirmation  to  the 
world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil.  They  did  not 
hold  fast  to  their  crown  because  they  had  no 
crowTi. 

Where  the  Catechism  is  properly  learned,  un- 
derstood and  applied,  the  intellect  is  used  as 
the  gateway  to  the  heart.  Where  the  result  of 
an  enlightened  mind  is  a  changed  heart,  there 
are  intelligent  believers.  They  know  what  it 
means  to  be  a  Christian.  They  have  an  earnest 
desire  for  closer  fellowship  with  Him  who  has 
loved  them  and  washed  them  from  their  sins  in 
His  own  hlood.  There  is  good  hope  that  such 
will  be  faithful  unto  death. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Confirmation. 

IN  our  studies  concerning  the  methods  of 
Grace,  or  the  application  of  the  Salvation 
purchased  by  Christ  to  the  sinful  race  of 
Adam's  children,  we  necessarily  had  to  begin 
with  the  new-born  child.  We  noted  the  first 
known  operations  of  Grace  at  the  baptismal 
font.  We  traced  the  infant  through  the  holy 
influences  received  at  a  Christian  mother's 
knee,  and  in  the  nurture  of  a  Christian  home. 
We  followed  up  through  the  lessons  and  influ- 
ences of  the  Church's  nursery,  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  from  thence  into  the  pastor's  cate- 
chetical class.  We  have  learned  that  these  are 
the  different  successive  steps  in  the  Way  of 
Salvation.  This  is  God's  way  in  the  sanctuary. 
It  begins  at  the  baptismal  font,  where  the  child 
is  received  as  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
Christ;  it  leads  through  the  Church  in  the 
house,  and  through  the  house  keeps  up  a  living 
connection  with  the  Church.  It  is  making  dis- 
ciples in  accordance  with  Christ's  plain  direc- 
tions, viz.,  **  baptizing  them,  and  teaching 
them.'' 

101 


102  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

We  have  also  admitted  all  along  that  there 
may  be  some  who  will  go  through  with  this 
whole  process  and  yet  not  be  disciples  of  Christ 
at  the  end.  They  wilfully  resist  the  operations 
of  divine  Grace,  and  cast  it  away  from  the  heart. 
This  class  we  leave,  for  the  present.  We  shall 
consider  them  further  on. 

We  speak  now  of  those  who  have  been  made 
disciples;  who  have  not  resisted  the  gracious 
influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  working  through 
the  sacramental  and  the  written  Word.  Their 
minds  are  enlightened ;  they  know  something  of 
sin  and  Grace  and  the  bestowal  and  reception 
of  Grace ;  they  have  an  intelligent  understand- 
ing of  the  plan  of  salvation  revealed  in  the 
Word  of  God.    But  this  is  not  all. 

Their  hearts  also  have  been  drawn  ever 
nearer  and  closer  to  their  dear  Saviour;  they 
believe  in  and  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  they 
are  ready  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that 
asks  of  them  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in 
them.  In  the  ardor  and  fervor  of  their  young 
hearts*  devotion  they  can  repeat  these  beauti- 
ful words  of  their  catechism  and  say:  **I  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  Christ,  true  God,  begotten  of 
the  Father  from  eternity,  and  also  true  man, 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  is  my  Lord ;  who  has 
redeemed  me,  a  lost  and  condemned  creature, 
secured  and  delivered  me  from  all  sin,  from 
death,  and  from  the  power  of  the  devil    .     .     . 


CONFIRMATION-  103 

in  order  that  I  might  be  His,  live  under  Him 
in  His  kingdom  and  serve  Him  in  everlasting 
righteousness,  innocence  and  blessedness." 

Further,  they  can  joyfully  say:  "I  believe 
that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason  and  strength 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord,  or  come  to 
Him.  But  that  the  Holy  Ghost  has  called  me 
through  the  Gospel,  enlightened  me  by  His 
gifts,  sanctified  and  preserved  me  in  the  true 
faith." 

This  happy  faith  of  their  hearts  has  never 
been  publicly  professed  before  men.  But  the 
Word  of  God  demands  not  only  faith  in  the 
heart,  but  also  confession  by  the  lips.  Rom. 
X.  9-10:  ''If  thou  shalt  confess  tuith  thy  mouth 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart 
that  God  hath  raised  Him  from  the  dead,  thou 
shalt  be  saved.  For  with  the  heart  man  be- 
lieveth  unto  righteousness,  and  with  the  mouth 
confession  is  made  unto  salvation/'  Jesus  also 
says,  Matt.  x.  32 :  ' '  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall 
confess  Me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  also 
before  my  Father  ivhich  is  in  heaven." 

And  should  any  one  be  ashamed  of  this  public 
profession  and  refuse  to  make  it,  Jesus  clearly 
tells  such  an  one  that  of  him  He  also  will  be 
ashamed  in  the  judgment  day.  The  Bible  no- 
where recognizes  a  secret  discipleship.  There 
are  no  promises  to  him  who  does  not  confess. 

If  our  catechumens  would  therefore  still  fol- 


104  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

low  God's  Way  of  Salvation  lie  must  now  also 
take  this  step,  and  publicly  confess  Jesus  as 
Ms  Lord  and  Redeemer  and  himself  as  His 
disciple.  And  for  this  there  is  no  time  so  ap- 
propriate as  when  he  desires  to  be  numbered 
among  the  communicants  of  the  congregation 
and  participate  with  them  in  the  celebration  of 
the  Lord's  Supper. 

For  this  also  our  Church  has  made  fitting 
arrangement.  It  is  done  at,  or  is  rather  a  part 
of,  the  impressive  ceremony  of  confirmation. 
Who  has  not  witnessed  this  beautiful  and  touch- 
ing rite?  And  what  could  be  more  interesting 
or  impressive  than  to  see  a  company  of  young 
hearts  encircling  the  altar  of  Christ,  confessing 
their  faith,  and  bowing  the  knee  to  their 
Saviour  amid  the  prayers  and  benedictions  of 
the  Church?    This  is  confirmation. 

The  catechumen  has  been  examined  by  the 
pastor  as  to  his  fitness  for  this  important  step. 
The  pastor  has  found  that  he  possesses  an  in- 
telligent understanding  of  the  doctrines  taught 
in  the  Catechism,  and  that  the  experience  of  his 
heart  bears  witness  to  their  truth  and  power.* 

On  this  account  he  is  adjudged  as  fit  and 
well  prepared  to  be  admitted  to  the  holy  com- 
munion. He  now  comes  of  his  own  accord — 
not  because  he  is  old  enough,  or  knows  enough, 

*  On  deciding  as  to  who  ought  to  be  admitted  to  Con- 
firmation see  further  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  Cliapter  xvli. 


CONFIRMATIOlSr  105 

or  because  father,  motlier,  or  pastor  wants 
him  to — ^before  the  altar  of  Christ.  There, 
in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  congre- 
gation and  the  all-seeing  God,  his  lips  confess 
the  faith  of  his  heart,  the  faith  into  which  he 
was  baptized  as  a  child.  He  now  voluntarily 
takes  upon  himself  the  vows  and  promises  that 
parents  or  sponsors  took  for  him  at  baptism. 
He  receives  an  earnest  admonition  from  his 
pastor  to  hold  fast  that  which  he  has  and  to 
be  faithful  unto  death.  The  whole  congrega- 
tion, together  with  the  pastor,  lift  their  hearts 
in  earnest  intercessory  prayer  to  God  for  His 
continuous  blessing  on  and  protection  of  the 
young  confessor ;  and,  the  catechumen  kneeling 
at  the  altar,  the  pastor  directs  the  intercessions 
of  the  Church  to  each  kneeling  one  in  turn,  by 
laying  his  hands  on  him  and  offering  up  for 
him  a  fervent  petition  in  inspired  words. 

This  is  the  simple  and  appropriate  ceremony 
which  we  call  confirmation.  We  claim  for  it  no 
magical  powers.  It  is  not  a  sacrament.  It  adds 
nothing  to  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  for  that 
is  complete  in  itself.  There  is  no  conferring  of 
Grace  by  the  pastor's  hands,  but  simply  a  di- 
recting of  the  Word  and  the  Church's  prayers 
to  the  individual. 

The  confirming,  strengthening  and  establish- 
ing of  the  catechumen  in  Grace,  is  effected 
primarily    and    alone    through    Christ's    own 


106  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

means  of  Grace,  viz.:  the  Word  and  the 
Sacraments.  The  Word  has  been  applied  to 
mind  and  heart  all  along  from  tenderest  child- 
hood. It  is  now  brought  home  in  the  review 
and  admonition  of  the  pastor,  amid  specially 
solemn  surroundings.  The  previous  adminis- 
tering of  baptism,  and  the  perpetual  efficacy 
of  that  sacrament,  are  now  vividly  recalled 
and  impressed.  And  this  unusually  impres- 
sive application  of  the  power  of  Word  and 
Sacrament  confirms  and  strengthens  the  di- 
vine life  in  the  catechumen.  Thus  the  means 
of  Grace  do  the  confirming,  or  rather  the  Holy 
Spirit  through  these  means.  Instrumentally 
also  the  pastor  may  be  said  to  confirm,  since 
he,  as  Christ's  ambassador  or  agent,  applies 
His  means  of  Grace. 

In  still  another,  though  inferior  sense,  the 
catechumen  confirms.  He  receives  the  offered 
means  of  Grace,  assents  to  their  truth  and 
efficacy,  obtains  divine  virtue  and  strength 
through  them,  and  with  this  imparted  strength 
lays  hold  on  Christ,  draws  nearer  to  Him,  is 
united  to  Him  as  the  branch  to  the  vine,  and 
thus  confirms  and  establishes  the  covenant  and 
bond  that  unites  him  to  his  Saviour. 

We  do  not  claim  for  the  rite  of  confirmation 
a  'HJius  saith  the  Lord."  We  do  not  claim  that 
it  possesses  sacramental  efficacy,  or  that  it  is 
absolutely  essential  to  salvation.    We  do  claim, 


CONFIRMATION  107 

however,  that  there  is  nothing  unevangelical  or 
anti-scriptural  in  this  ceremony.  On  the  con- 
trary, we  believe  that  it  is  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  whole  tenor  and  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  If 
we  cannot  trace  it  to  apostolic  usage,  we  can  find 
it  in  all  its  essential  features  in  the  pure  age 
of  the  Church  immediately  succeeding  the 
Apostles.  In  some  form  or  other  it  has  been 
practiced  in  the  Church  ever  since. 

True,  it  has  often  been  and  is  still  grossly 
abused.  It  has  often  been  encumbered  and  en- 
tangled with  error  and  superstition ;  and  there- 
fore there  have  not  been  wanting  radical  purists 
who  have  not  only  set  it  aside,  but  cried  it  down 
as  Romish  and  heathenish.  The  more  sober 
and  conservative  churches  have  been  content 
to  purge  it  of  its  error  and  superstition.  In 
its  purified  form  they  prize  it  highly,  cherish 
its  use,  practice  it,  and  find  it  attended  by  God's 
richest  blessing. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  also  that  some  of  those 
who  were  once  its  most  bitter  opponents  are 
gradually  returning  to  its  practice.  We  find, 
for  example,  that  certain  Presbyterian  churches 
confirm  large  classes  of  catechumens  every 
year. 

Certain  Methodist  book  concerns  and  publish- 
ing houses  also  publish  confirmation  certifi- 
cates, from  which  we  infer  that  some  of  their 
churches  also  must  practice  this  rite.    Again, 


108  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

we  find  in  certain  "pastors'  record  books,'* 
gotten  up  to  suit  all  denominations,  columns 
for  reporting  the  number  of  confirmations. 

All  churches  must  indeed  have  some  kind  of 
a  ceremony  for  the  admission  of  the  young  into 
the  communion  of  the  church.  And  there  cer- 
tainly is  no  more  befitting,  beautiful  and  touch- 
ing ceremony  than  confirmation,  as  described 
above  and  practiced  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Lord's  Supper — Preliminary 
Observations. 

OUR  catechumen  has  now  been  confirmed. 
The  pastor  has  given  him,  in  the  name 
of  the  congregation,  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship, and  also  publicly  authorized  him  to  join 
with  the  congregation  in  the  celebration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  For  the  first  time,  then,  the 
young  Christian  is  to  partake  of  this  holy 
sacrament,  in  order  that  thereby  he  may  be 
still  further  strengthened  and  confirmed  in  the 
true  faith. 

This  sacred  institution,  also,  is  a  part  of 
God's  'Way  of  Salvation.  It  is  one  of  the 
means  of  Grace  appointed  and  ordained  by 
Christ.  It  ''hath  been  instituted  for  the  special 
comfort  and  strengthening  of  those  who  humbly 
confess  their  sins  and  who  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness." 

It  is  true  that  multitudes  do  not  regard  it  as 
a  means  or  channel  of  Grace.  To  them  it  is 
only  an  ancient  rite  or  ceremony,  having  no 
special  significance  or  blessing  connected  with 

109 


110  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

it.  It  is  at  most  a  symbol,  a  sign,  or  represen- 
tation of  something  entirely  absent  and  in  no 
way  connected  with  it.  If  there  is  any  blessing 
at  all  attached  to  it,  it  consists  in  the  pious 
thoughts,  the  holy  emotions  and  the  sacred 
memories,  which  the  communicant  tries  to  bring 
to  it  and  which  are  in  some  way  deepened  by 
it.  At  best,  it  is  a  memorial  of  an  absent 
Saviour,  and  in  some  form  a  representation  of 
His  sufferings  and  death. 

Now  if  this  were  all  that  we  could  see  in  the 
Lord's  Supper,  we  should  not  regard  it  as  a 
part  of  God's  Way  of  Salvation.  But  our 
Church  sees  much  more  in  it.  With  her  it  is 
indeed  an  essential  and  integral  part  of  that 
Way.  And  since  this  is  another  of  the  points 
on  which  the  Lutheran  Church  differs  mater- 
ially from  many  others,  it  will  be  well  for  us 
to  devote  some  space  and  time  to  its  study. 

Much  has  been  written  on  this  important 
subject.  We  may  not  have  anything  new  to 
add,  but  it  is  well  often  to  recall  and  re-study 
the  old  truths,  so  easily  forgotten.  Before  we 
consider  the  nature  of  this  sacrament,  we  make 
a  few  preliminary  observations  that  will  help 
us  to  guard  against  false  views,  and  to  arrive 
at  correct  conclusions. 

We  observe  first,  the  importance  of  bearing 
in  mind  the  source  from  which  this  institution 
has  come.     Who  is  its  author?     What  is  the 


THE  LOED's  supper  111 

nature  or  character  of  its  origin?  Our  views 
of  any  institution  are  generally  more  or  less 
influenced  by  thus  considering  its  origin. 
Whence  then  did  the  Church  get  this  ordinance 
which  she  has  so  conscientiously  kept  and  de- 
voutly celebrated?  Did  it  emanate  from  the 
wisdom  of  man?  Did  some  zealous  mystic  or 
hermit  invent  it,  because  forsooth  he  supposed 
it  would  be  pleasant  and  profitable  to  have  such 
an  ordinance  in  the  Church?  Or  did  some  early 
Church  Council  institute  it,  because  those  earn- 
est fathers  in  their  wisdom  deemed  it  necessary 
that  the  Church  should  have  such  a  service? 
Can  it,  in  short,  be  traced  to  any  human  origin ? 
If  so,  then  we  can  deal  with  it  as  with  any  other 
human  institution.  We  are  then  at  liberty  to 
reason  and  speculate  about  it.  We  can  apply 
to  it  the  rules  of  human  science  and  learning. 
We  can  test  it,  measure  it,  sound  it  by  phil- 
osophy, logic,  and  the  laws  of  the  mind.  Each 
one  then  has  a  right  to  his  owti  opinion  about 
it.  Each  one  can  apply  to  it  the  favorite  test 
of  common  sense,  and  draw  his  own  conclusions. 
But  now,  we  know  that  this  is  not  a  human 
institution.  The  Church  has  received  it  from 
the  hands  of  the  Son  of  God.  It  was  ordained 
by  Him  who  could  say,  ^^  All  power  is  given  unto 
Me  in  heaven  and  in  earth/'  and,  "In  whom 
dwelt  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily;" 
who,  even  before  his  birth  in  human  form,  was 


112  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

called  "the  Mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Father, 
the  Prince  of  Peace.*'  When  we  come  to  deal 
with  an  institution  of  His,  we  dare  never  expect 
to  fathom  or  test  it  by  our  poor,  short-sighted 
and  sinblinded  reason,  philosophy,  science,  or 
common  sense.  '^For  my  thoughts  are  not  your 
thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith 
the  Lord.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than 
your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your 
thoughts."  Whenever,  therefore,  we  come  to 
deal  with  anything  that  comes  from  His  hands, 
it  is  no  longer  of  the  earth,  earthy,  and  is  not 
subject  to  earthly  laws  and  human  rules.  His 
acts.  His  deeds,  His  words,  belong  to  the  realm 
of  faith,  and  not  of  reason.  Beason  must  ever 
be  taken  captive  and  made  to  bow  before  the 
heavenly  things  connected  with  Him.  Or  shall 
we  try  to  reason  out  His  human  birth.  His 
growth.  His  nature.  His  deeds?  Shall  we  rea- 
son out  the  feeding  of  the  multitudes  with  those 
few  barley  loaves  and  fishes'?  No;  they  came 
through  His  hands,  and  the  power  of  those 
hands  we  cannot  comprehend.  We  cannot  com- 
prehend how  that  afflicted  woman  could  receive 
virtue,  health  and  life,  by  touching  the  hem  of 
His  garment — a  mere  fabric  of  cloth — or  how 
the  clay  and  spittle  from  His  hands  could  open 
the  eyes  of  one  born  blind. 
Whenever,  therefore,  we  come  to  study  this 


THE  lord's  supper  113 

ordinance,  let  us  ever  bear  in  mind  its  divine 
origin.  It  is  the  Lord's  Supper.  This  precau- 
tion will  be  a  safeguard  against  error,  and  a 
help  to  the  truth. 

We  notice  secondly  the  time  of  institution.  It 
was  ''in  the  night  in  which  He  was  betrayed." 
That  awful  night,  when  the  clouds  of  divine 
wrath  were  gathered  over  Him,  and  were  ready 
to  burst  upon  Him ;  when  the  accumulated  guilt 
of  a  sinful  race  was  all  to  be  laid  on  Him,  borne 
by  Him  as  though  it  were  His  own,  and  its 
punishment  endured  as  though  He  had  com- 
mitted every  sin.  Then,  when  the  strokes  of 
justice  were  about  to  fall,  our  blessed  Saviour, 
''having  loved  His  own,  He  loved  them  to  the 
end,"  He  gathered  His  little  band  of  chosen 
ones  about  Him  for  the  last  time  before  His 
crucifixion.  He  spoke  to  them  His  farewell 
words,  uttered  His  high-priestly  prayer,  insti- 
tuted and  administered  to  them  this  holy  sacra- 
ment. All  the  surroundings  conspired  to  throw 
round  it  a  halo  of  heavenly  mystery.  Every- 
thing was  calculated  to  impress  that  little  band 
that  what  He  now  ordained  and  made  binding 
on  the  Church,  till  He  would  come  again,  was 
something  more  than  an  empty  sign  or  cere- 
mony. Thus  the  time,  the  circumstances,  and 
all  the  surroundings  of  the  institution  of  this 
holy  sacrament,  prepare  us  in  advance  to  be- 
lieve that  there  must  be  in  it  or  connected  with 


114  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

it  some  heavenly  gift  of  Grace  that  can  be  ob- 
tained nowhere  else. 

We  notice  thirdly  the  significant  term  by 
which  Jesus  designates  this  institution.  "When 
he  administered  the  cup  He  said:  "Tliis  cup 
is  the  New  Testament  in  my  blood."  He  calls 
it  a  testament.    A  testament  is  a  last  will. 

Jesus  was  about  to  go  forth  to  die.  Before 
he  departed,  He  made  His  will.  He  bequeathes 
to  the  Church  an  inheritance.  The  legacy  that 
He  leaves  is  this  sacrament.  Before  we  under- 
take to  study  the  words  of  the  institution,  we 
wish  to  impress  this  thought.  A  will  is  the  last 
place  where  one  would  use  ambiguous  or  figura- 
tive language.  Every  maker  or  writer  of  a 
will  strives  to  use  the  clearest  and  plainest 
words  possible.  Every  precaution  is  taken 
that  there  may  be  no  doubtful  or  difficult  ex- 
pression employed.  The  aim  of  the  maker  is 
to  make  it  so  plain  that  only  one  meaning  can 
be  taken  from  it. 

Neither  is  any  one  permitted  to  read  into  it 
any  sense  different  from  the  clear,  plain,  literal 
meaning  of  the  words.  Fanciful,  metaphorical, 
or  far-fetched  interpretations  are  never  applied 
to  the  words  of  a  will.  Much  less  is  any  one 
permitted  to  change  the  words  by  inserting  or 
substituting  other  words  than  those  used  by 
the  maker.  Christ's  words  of  institution  are 
the  words  of  His  last  Will  and  Testament. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Lord  's  Supper — Continued. 

IN  the  former  chapter  we  made  some  prelimin- 
ary observations,  intended  to  be  helpful,  as 
guards  against  false  conclusions,  and  as  guides 
to  a  correct  understanding  of  the  subject  under 
consideration.  It  is  important  that  we  always 
keep  these  in  mind  in  our  study  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  Lord 's  Supper.  Let  us  ever  keep  before 
us  therefore  the  Author  or  Founder  of  this  in- 
stitution, the  time  and  circumstances  of  the 
institution,  and  its  testamentary  character. 

We  are  now  ready  to  inquire  further  into  the 
nature  and  meaning  of  this  holy  ordinance. 
And  in  order  to  determine  this  we  desire  to  go 
directly  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony.  We 
want  to  know,  first  of  all :  what  does  the  Word 
of  God  teach  on  the  subject? 

Before  we  proceed,  however,  to  note  and  ex- 
amine the  passages  of  Scripture  bearing  on  the 
matter,  let  us  recall  what  we  said,  as  to  the 
interpretation  of  Scripture,  in  one  of  the 
chapters  on  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism.  We 
there  stated  that  our  Church  has  certain  plain 

115 


116  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

and  safe  principles  of  interpretation  that  are 
always  to  guide  tlie  searcher  after  the  truth 
of  God's  Word,  vis,: 

1.  *'A  passage  of  Scripture  is  always  to  be 
taken  in  its  plain,  natural  and  literal  sense,  un- 
less there  is  something  in  the  text  itself,  or  in 
the  context,  that  clearly  indicates  that  it  is 
meant  to  be  figurative." 

2.  *'A  passage  is  never  to  be  torn  from  its 
connection,  but  it  is  to  be  studied  in  connection 
with  what  goes  before  and  what  follows  after/' 

3.  ''Scripture  is  to  be  interpreted  by  Scrip- 
ture, the  dark  passages  are  to  be  compared 
with  the  more  clear,  bearing  on  the  same  sub- 
ject.'' 

4.  *  *  We  can  never  be  fully  certain  that  a  doc- 
trine is  Scriptural  until  we  have  examined  and 
compared  all  that  the  Word  says  on  the  sub- 
ject." 

On  these  principles  we  wish  to  examine  what 
the  Word  teaches  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord 's  Supper.  We  note  first 
the  accounts  of  the  institution  as  given  by  the 
three  Evangelists,  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke. 
In  Matthew  xxvi.  26-28,  we  read,  '^  Jesus  took 
bread  and  blessed  it  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it 
to  the  disciples  and  said;  'Take,  eat,  this  is  my 
body/  And  he  took  the  cup  and  gave  thanks 
and  gave  it  to  them  saying:  'Drink  ye  all  of  it. 
For  this  is  My  blood  of  the  New  Testament, 


THE  lord's  supper  117 

which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of 
silts.*  "  With  this  the  accounts  in  Mark  xix. 
22-24,  and  in  Luke  xxii.  19,  20,  substantially 
agree.  There  is  a  slight  variation  of  the  words, 
but  the  substance  is  the  same. 

We  notice  only  this  difference:  Luke  adds 
the  words,  ''This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me.'* 
On  this  point  let  us  notice,  in  passing,  that  St. 
Luke's  was  the  last  written  of  the  three.  The 
Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark  had  been  written 
and  were  read  and  used  in  the  churches  several 
years  before  St.  Luke's.  And  yet  the  two 
former  do  not  contain  the  words,  "Do  this  in 
remembrance  of  Me."  Now  we  submit  right 
here,  if  to  remember  Christ  were  all  that  is  in 
this  sacrament,  or  even  the  chief  thing,  why 
did  those  who  were  inspired  to  write  the  first 
Gospels,  and  knew  that  there  were  no  others, 
leave  out  these  words? 

Almost  thirty  years  after  the  time  of  the 
institution  of  this  sacrament,  the  great  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Church  at 
Corinth.  That  Church  was  made  up  of  a  mixed 
multitude — Jews  and  Gentiles,  freemen  and 
slaves.  Many  of  them  were  neither  clear  noi 
sound  on  points  of  Christian  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice. In  his  fatherly  and  affectionate  letters  to 
the  members  of  this  Church,  Paul,  among  other 
things,  gives  them  instruction  concerning  this 
sacrament;  and,  lest  some  of  them  might  per- 


118  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

haps  suppose  that  he  is  giving  them  merely 
his  own  wisdom  and  speculation,  he  takes 
especial  care  to  disavow  this:  "For  I  have  re- 
ceived of  the  Lord  that  which  also  I  delivered 
unto  you,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  the  same  night 
in  which  he  was  betrayed,  took  bread,"  etc., 
giving  in  substance  the  same  words  of  institu- 
tion as  given  by  the  Evangelists  (1  Cor.  xi.  23, 
24,  25). 

After  thus  giving  them  the  words  of  institu- 
tion, Paul  goes  on  to  instruct  them  about 
worthy  and  unworthy  communing.  In  these 
instructions  we  cannot  help  but  notice  how  he 
takes  the  real  presence  of  Christ's  body  and 
blood  for  granted  all  the  way  through.  Notice 
his  language.  Verse  27:  "Whosoever  shall 
eat  of  this  bread  and  drink  of  this  cup  of  the 
Lord  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  the  Lord."  Verse  29:  "For  he  that 
eateth  and  drinketh  umvorthily,  eateth  and 
drinketh  damnation  to  himself,  not  discerning 
the  Lord's  body."  Going  back  to  chapter  ten, 
verse  sixteen,  we  find  the  Apostle  giving  the 
doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  a  few  words 
thus:  "The  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless,  is 
it  not  the  communion  of  the  blood  of  Christ? 
The  bread  which  we  break,  is  it  not  the  com- 
munion of  the  body  of  Christ?" 

We  have  now  noted  all  the  passages  that 
speak  directly  on  this  subject.    There  are  other 


THE  lord's  supper  119 

strong  passages  that  are  often  quoted  in  de- 
fence of  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence,  and 
which  we  doubtless  have  a  right  to  use  in  cor- 
roboration of  those  above  quoted.  We  refer 
to  John  vi.  53-56:  '' Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you.  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
and  drink  His  hlood,  you  have  no  life  in  you. 
Whoso  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood 
hath  eternal  life.  .  .  .for  my  flesh  is  meat 
indeed  and  my  hlood  is  drink  indeed.  He  that 
eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood  dwelleth 
in  me,  and  I  in  him." 

As  it  is  a  disputed  point,  however,  whether 
this  passage  refers  to  the  Lord's  Supper  or 
not,  we  are  willing  to  waive  it  here.  We  are 
content  to  take  those  passages  quoted  above, 
which  every  one  acknowledges  as  referring 
directly  to  our  subject.  These  we  would  have 
the  reader  carefully  examine.  Note  particu- 
larly the  language,  the  words  employed.  In  the 
four  accounts  given  of  the  institution,  three  by 
the  Evangelists  and  one  by  Paul,  we  have  the 
same  clear,  plain  words  concerning  the  bread 
and  wine— words  of  the  last  will  and  testament 
of  the  Son  of  God.  our  Saviour— ''T/iis  is  my 
body.''  "This  is  my  blood  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment;*' or  *'the  New  Testament  in  my  blood." 
Note  the  language  of  Paul:  *' Guilty  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  the  Lord."  "Not  discerning 
the  Lord's  body."    The  cup  is  called  the  com- 


120  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

munion  of  the  Mood,  and  the  bread,  the  com- 
munion of  the  body  of  Clirist.  The  word 
communion  is  made  up  of  two  Latin  words,  con 
and  wiio,  meaning  union  with,  or  connection 
with.  The  marginal  reading  in  our  family 
Bibles,  as  well  as  in  the  revised  version,  is 
''participation  in."  The  plain  English  of  the 
verse  then  is,  the  bread  is  a  participation  in, 
or  a  connection  with  Christ's  body,  and  the 
wine  with  His  blood. 

We  are  now  ready  to  take  all  these  passages 
together,  to  compare  them  one  with  another, 
and  to  ask.  What  do  they  teach?  What  is  the 
Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper!  Is  it 
transubstantiation  ?  Is  it  consubstantiation? 
Is  it  that  the  bread  and  wine  are  mere  repre- 
sentations or  memorials  of  the  absent  body  and 
blood  of  Christ?  Or  do  these  passages  teach 
''That  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  truly 
present  under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine  and 
are  communicated  to  those  that  eat  in  the 
Lord's  Supper?"  (Augsburg  Confession,  Art. 
X.) 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Loed's  Supper — Concluded. 

WE  have  quoted,  noted,  collected  and  com- 
pared the  words  of  Scripture  that  speak 
of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  We 
now  wish  to  ask  and  examine  the  question: 
What  do  these  passages  taken  together  and 
compared  with  one  another  teach?  Or,  in  other 
words,  what  is  the  Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  ? 

Does  the  Bible  teach  the  doctrine  of  Tran- 
substantiation,  as  held  and  confessed  by  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church?  If  our  investigation 
of  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  con- 
vinces us  that  they  teach  Transubstantiation, 
we  will  be  ready  to  believe  and  confess  that 
doctrine,  no  matter  who  else  may  believe  or 
disbelieve  it.  What  we  want  to  know,  believe, 
teach  and  confess,  is  the  Bible  doctrine. 

What  is  Transubstantiation?  The  word 
means  a  change  of  substance.  The  doctrine  of 
the  Romish  Church  is  that  after  the  consecra- 
tion by  the  priest,  the  bread  in  the  sacrament 
is  changed  into  the  material  body  of  Christ,  and 

121 


122  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

the  wine  into  His  blood — so  entirely  changed  in 
substance  and  matter,  that  after  the  consecra- 
tion there  is  no  more  bread  or  wine  there ;  what 
was  bread  has  been  converted  into  the  flesh  of 
Christ,  and  what  was  wine  has  been  converted 
into  His  blood.  Is  this  the  doctrine  of  God's 
word?  Does  the  Word  anywhere  tell  ns  that 
the  bread  and  wine  are  thus  changed?  Does  it 
call  the  bread  flesh,  either  before  or  after  the 
consecration  ?  Let  us  see.  ' '  Jesus  took  bread. ' ' 
"I  will  not  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine.*' 
**The  bread  which  we  break."  *'For  as  often 
as  ye  eat  this  bread  and  drink  this  cup."  Such 
is  the  language  of  inspiration.  Now  we  ask, 
if  the  Holy  Spirit  desired  that  plain  and  un- 
prejudiced readers  should  find  the  doctrine  of 
Transubstantiation  in  His  words,  why  does  He 
call  the  earthly  elements  bread  and  wine  before, 
during  and  after  the  consecration  and  distribu- 
tion? Why  does  He  not  say,  ''as  often  as  ye 
eat  this  flesh  and  drink  this  blood?"  Evidently 
because  the  bread  is,  and  remains  plain,  natural 
bread,  and  so  with  the  wine.  There  is  no  change 
in  the  component  elements,  in  the  nature,  mat- 
ter, or  substance  of  either.  Transubstantiation 
is  not  the  doctrine  of  God's  word;  neither  was 
it  the  doctrine  of  the  early  Church.  It  is  one 
of  the  human  inventions  and  corruptions  of  the 
Church  of  Rome. 
Do  then  these  words  of  Scripture  teach  the 


THE  lokd's  supper  123 

doctrine  of  Consubstantiation?  There  are 
persons  who  talk  a  great  deal  about  Consub- 
stantiation,  and  yet  they  know  not  what  it 
means.  What  is  it?  It  is  a  mingling  or  fusing 
together  of  two  different  elements  or  sub- 
stances, so  that  the  two  combine  into  a  third. 
A  familiar  example,  often  given,  is  the  fusing 
or  melting  together  of  copper  and  zinc  until 
they  unite  and  form  brass.  Applied  to  the 
sacrament  of  the  altar,  the  doctrine  of  Con- 
substantiation  would  teach  that  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  Christ  are  physically  or  materially 
mingled  and  combined  with  the  bread  and  wine, 
so  that  what  the  communicant  receives  is 
neither  plain,  real  bread,  nor  real  flesh,  but  a 
gross  mixture  of  the  two. 

Again  we  ask,  is  this  the  teaching  of  the 
Word  ?  The  very  same  proofs  that  convince  us 
that  the  divine  Word  does  not  teach  Transub- 
stantiation,  also  convince  us  that  it  does  not 
teach  Consubstantiation.  The  simple  fact  that 
the  earthly  elements  are  called  bread  and  the 
fruit  of  the  vine,  before,  during  and  after  con- 
secration and  distribution  satisfies  us  that  they 
remain  plain,  simple  bread  and  wine,  without 
physical  change  or  admixture.  Consubstantia- 
tion is  not  the  teacliing  of  the  Word ;  neither  is 
it,  nor  has  it  ever  been,  the  teaching  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  It  often  has  been,  and  is  still 
called   the   Lutheran   doctrine   of   the   Lord's 


124  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

Supper,  but  it  is  found  in  none  of  her  confes- 
sions. It  was  never  taught  by  a  single  recog- 
nized theologian  of  our  Church.  One  and  all, 
they  have  repudiated  it  and  repudiate  it  still. 
The  question  then  is  still  unanswered:  What 
is  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  Word? 

There  are  many  who  have  a  ready  and  easy 
answer  as  to  this  doctrine.  They  say  it  is 
only  a  Church  ceremony,  one  of  the  old,  solemn 
rites  by  which  Church  members  are  distin- 
guished from  outsiders.  There  is  indeed  no 
special  significance  or  Grace  connected  with  it. 
There  is  really  nothing  in  it  but  bread  and  wine. 
There  is  no  presence  of  Christ  at  all  in  this 
sacrament  in  any  way  different  from  His  gen- 
eral presence.  The  bread  represents  or  signi- 
fies, is  a  sign,  or  symbol,  or  emblem  of  Christ's 
body,  and  the  wine  of  His  blood.  The  com- 
municant receives  nothing  but  bread  and  wine, 
and  while  he  partakes  of  these  he  remembers 
Christ's  sufferings  and  death.  Whatever  spe- 
cial benefit  he  is  to  derive  from  this  sacrament 
he  must  first  put  into  it,  by  bringing  to  it  pious 
thoughts,  good  feelings,  deep  emotions,  tender 
memories,  and  a  faith  that  swings  itself  aloft 
and  holds  communion  with  Christ  far  off  in 
heaven. 

This  is  about  the  current,  popular  view  of 
this  subject  as  held  and  taught  in  nearly  all 
the  Protestant  Churches  of  to-day,  outside  of 


THE  lokd's  supper  125 

the  Lutheran  Church.  As  a  natural  conse- 
quence of  this  superficial  view,  the  whole  mat- 
ter is  treated  very  lightly.  There  is  little,  if 
any,  solemn,  searching  preparation.  In  many 
places  there  is  no  formal  consecration  of  the 
elements.  The  table  is  thrown  open  to  any  one 
who  desires  to  commune.  There  are  no  regula- 
tions, no  guards,  no  disciplinary  tests,  con- 
nected with  it.  Even  unbaptized  persons,  and 
persons  who  have  never  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  faith,  are  often  permitted  to  commune. 
We  return  to  the  question:  Is  the  view  just 
noticed  in  harmony  with  and  based  on  the 
"Word?  Let  us  see.  If  there  is  nothing  present 
but  bread  and  wine,  why  does  Christ  say, ' '  This 
is  My  body  .  .  My  blood f"  .Why  not  say,  This 
is  bread,  this  is  wine?  If  Christ  wanted  us  to 
understand  that  the  bread  and  wine  merely 
represent  or  are  emblems  "of  His  body  and 
blood,  why  did  He  not  say  so?  Did  He  not 
know  how  to  use  language?  Did  He  use  dark 
or  misleading  words  in  His  last  Will  and  Testa- 
ment? Why  does  Paul,  in  speaking  of  worthy 
and  unworthy  communing,  speak  of  the  body  of 
Christ  as,  present,  as  a  matter  of  course  ?  Was 
he  inspired  to  misunderstand  Christ  and  lead 
plain  readers  astray?  If  there  is  nothing  more 
in  the  sacrament  than  to  remember  Christ,  why 
— as  already  noticed — did  not  the  writers  of 
the  first  two  Gospels  put  in  the  words,  "Do  this 


126 


THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 


in  remembrance  of  Mef"  Or  why  did  not 
Christ  plainly  say, ' '  Take,  eat  this  bread,  which 
represents  My  body,  in  remembrance  of  Me?" 
Clearly,  the  doctrine  in  question  is  not  based 
on  the  words  of  Scripture.  It  cannot  be  sup- 
ported by  Scripture.  Neither  do  its  defenders 
attempt  to  support  it  by  the  passages  that 
clearly  speak  of  this  sacrament.  If  they  try  to 
bring  in  any  Scripture  proof,  they  quote  pas- 
sages that  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  subject. 
They  draw  their  proofs  and  supports  princi- 
pally from  reason  and  philosophy. 

Surely  a  doctrine  that  changes  the  words  of 
the  institution,  wrests  and  twists  them  out  of 
their  natural  sense,  and  does  violence  to  all 
sound  rules  of  interpretation ;  that  must  bolster 
itself  up  by  the  very  same  methods  of  interpre- 
tation that  are  used  to  disprove  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the 
eternity  of  future  punishment,  is  not  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ. 

We  have  not  found  the  Bible  doctrine  in  any 
of  the  views  examined.  Can  we  find  it!  Let 
us  see.  We  are  satisfied,  from  our  examina- 
tion of  the  passages  that  have  to  do  with  our 
subject,  that  there  must  be  earthly  elements 
present  in  this  sacrament.  They  are  bread  and 
wine.  They  remain  so,  without  physical  change 
or  admixture.  We  also  find  from  these  pas- 
sages that  there  is  a  real  presence  of  heavenly 


THE  loed's  supper  127 

elements.  These  are  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ.  Not  indeed  that  body  as  it  was  in  its 
state  of  humiliation,  when  it  was  subject  to 
weakness,  hunger,  thirst,  pain  and  death.  But 
that  glorified,  spiritual,  resurrection  body,  in 
its  state  of  exaltation,  inseparably  joined  with 
the  Godhead,  and  by  it  rendered  everyAvhere 
present.  And  this  body  and  divinity,  we  re- 
mark in  passing,  were  already  present,  though 
veiled,  when  the  God-man  walked  this  earth. 
Peter  and  James  and  John  caught  a  glimpse 
of  it  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration.  It  is  of 
this  body,  and  blood,  of  which  Peter  says,  1 
Peter  i.  18, 19,  that  it  is  not  a  corruptible  thing, 
and  of  which  the  Apostle  says,  Heb.  ix.  12,  ''B2/ 
his  oivn  Mood  he  entered  in  once  into  the  Holy 
Place''  (that  is,  into  heaven),  and  of  which 
Jesus  spoke  when  He  said,  ''Take  eat,  this  is 
my  body    .    .     .     this  is  my  blood." 

Of  this  body  and  blood,  the  Scriptures  affirm 
that  they  are  present  in  the  sacrament.  The 
passage  which  sets  forth  the  double  presence, 
that  of  the  earthly  and  heavenly  elements,  which 
indeed  sums  up  and  states  the  Bible  doctrine 
in  a  few  words,  is  1  Cor.  x.  16.  There  Paul 
affirms  that  the  bread  is  the  communion  of 
Christ's  body,  not  of  His  Spirit  or  His  influ- 
ence. If  the  bread  is  the  communion  of,  par- 
ticipation in,  or  connection  with  His  body,  then 
bread  and  body  must  both  be  present.    It  takes 


128  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

two  things  to  make  a  communion.  They  must 
both  be  present.  It  would  be  absurd  to  speak 
of  bread  as  a  communion  of  something  in  no 
way  connected  with  it. 

As  we  have  already  said,  the  plain  sense  of 
the  words  of  this  passage  is,  that  the  bread  is 
a  connection  with,  or  a  participation  in  Christ's 
body,  and  so  with  the  wine;  so  much  so  that 
whoever  partakes  of  the  one  must,  in  some 
manner,  also  become  a  partaker  of  the  other. 
The  bread,  therefore,  becomes  the  medium,  the 
vehicle,  the  conveyance,  that  carries  to  the 
communicant  the  body  of  Christ,  and  the  wine 
likewise  His  blood.  And  this,  we  repeat,  with- 
out any  gross  material  transmutation  or  mixing 
together.  The  bread  and  wine  are  the  earthen 
vessels  that  carry  the  Heavenly  treasures  of 
Christ's  body  and  blood,  even  as  the  letters 
and  words  of  the  Scriptures  convey  to  the 
reader  or  hearer  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  the 
clear,  plain,  Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. There  is  nothing  gross,  carnal,  Capernait- 
ish  or  repulsive  about  it. 

And  exactly  this  is  the  teaching  and  doctrine 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  Article 
X.,  Augsburg  Confession,  says,  **0f  the  Lord's 
Supper  they  teach  that  the  true  body  and  blood 
of  Christ  are  truly  present,  under  the  form  of 
bread  and  wine,  and  are  there  communicated  to 
those  that  eat  in  the  Lord's  Supper. '*    And 


THE  loed's  supper  129 

Luther's  Catechism  says,  ''The  sacrament  of 
the  altar  is  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  under  the  bread  and  wine,  given  unto 
us  Christians  to  eat  and  drink,  as  it  was  in- 
stituted by  Christ  himself." 

We  therefore  find  that  on  this  point  also  our 
dear  old  Church  is  built  impregnably  on  the 
foundation  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles.  And 
though  she  may  here  differ  from  all  others,  she 
cannot  yield  one  jot  or  tittle  without  proving 
false  to  her  Lord  and  to  His  truth.  It  is  not 
bigotry.  It  is  not  prejudice,  that  makes  her 
cling  so  tenaciously  to  this  doctrine.  She 
knows,  as  the  great  Eeformer  knew,  that  the 
very  foundations  are  at  stake ;  that  if  she  gives 
up  on  this  point,  and  changes  the  Scriptures  to 
suit  human  reason,  she  will  soon  have  to  give  up 
other  doctrines,  and  by  and  by  the  rock  on 
which  the  Church  is  built  will  be  removed,  and 
the  gates  of  hell  will  prevail. 

And  further,  if  there  is  any  risk  of  being  mis- 
taken— ^which  she,  however,  does  not  admit — 
she  would  rather  run  that  risk,  by  taking  her 
Master  at  His  Word,  than  by  changing  His 
Word.  In  childlike  confidence  and  trust,  she 
would  rather  believe  too  much  than  too  little. 
She  would  rather  trust  her  dear  Master  too 
far  than  not  far  enough.  And  therefore  here 
she  stands ;  she  cannot  do  otherwise.  May  God 
help  her !    Amen. 


130  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

Others  may  still  say,  "This  is  a  hard  saying, 
who  can  hear  it?  The  idea  of  eating  and  drink- 
ing the  body  and  blood  of  our  Lord  offends  us.'* 

Well,  it  also  offends  all  rationalistic  liberals, 
that  their  salvation  should  depend  on  the  literal 
shedding  of  the  literal  blood  of  Jesus.  But  it 
does  not  offend  us.  On  the  contrary,  this  same 
doctrine  is  to  us  the  very  heart  of  the  whole 
Gospel,  and  is  therefore  more  precious  than 
life  itself. 

Neither  does  it  offend  us  that  the  mother, 
whose  pure  and  tender  love  to  her  infant  child 
is  an  emblem  of  the  divine  love  to  us  poor  sin- 
ners, while  she  presses  to  her  bosom  that  little 
one,  soothes  away  its  frettings  and  sings  away 
its  sobbings,  at  the  same  time  feeds  and  nour- 
ishes that  feeble  life  with  her  own  physical  life, 
giving  it  literally  her  body  and  blood.  This  is 
no  offense  to  us. 

And  why  should  it  offend  us  that  our  dear 
loving  Saviour  comes  so  close  to  us,  leads  us 
into  His  banqueting  house,  where  His -banner 
over  us  is  love,  speaks  to  us  words  that  are  the 
out-breathings  of  the  yearning  love  of  His 
divine  heart,  and,  at  the  same  time,  feeds  us 
with  His  own  spiritual  and  glorified  body  and 
blood,  and  thus  makes  us  partake  of  the  divine 
nature. 

Instead  of  being  offended,  let  us  rather  bow 
down,  and  worship,  and  adore,  and  sing; 


THE  LORD  S  SUPPER 

"Lord,  at  Thy  table  I  behold 
The  wonders  of  Thy  Grace; 
But  most  of  all  admire  that  I 
Should  find  a  welcome  place." 

"I  that  am  all  defiled  by  sin; 

A  rebel  to  my  God: 
I  that  have  crucified  His  Son 
And  trampled  on  His  blood!" 

"What  strange  surprising  Grace  is  this 
That  such  a  soul  has  room; 
My  Saviour  takes  me  by  the  hand, 
And  kindly  bids  me  come!" 


131 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Prepaeatory  Service;  Sometimes  Called 
THE  Confessional  Service. 

IN  our  examination  of  the  nature  and  meaning 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,  we  have  found  that  it 
is  indeed  a  most  important  and  holy  Sacrament. 
It  is  in  fact  the  most  sacred  of  all  the  ordin- 
ances of  the  Church  on  earth.  There  is  nothing 
beyond  it — nothing  so  heavenly,  on  this  side  of 
heaven,  as  this  Feast.  Nowhere  else  does  the 
believer  approach  so  near  to  heaven  as  when 
he  stands  or  kneels,  as  a  communicant  at  this 
altar,  the  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  Church  of 
Christ. 

"What  a  solemn  act!  To  approach  this  altar, 
to  participate  in  its  heavenly  mysteries,  to  be- 
come a  partaker  of  the  glorified  body  and  blood 
of  the  Son  of  God !  Surely  no  one  who  under- 
stands the  import  of  this  Sacrament,  will  dare 
to  approach  hastily,  thoughtlessly,  or  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment.  Surely  there  must  be 
forethought  and  preparation.  Our  Church  has 
realized  this  from  the  very  beginning.  She  has 
had,  and  still  has,  a  special  service  for  those 

132 


THE   PBEPAKATORY   SERVICE 


133 


who  intend  to  commune.  Her  preparatory  ser- 
vice precedes  her  communion  service.  And  we 
can  safely  affirm,  that  no  Church  has  so  search- 
ing and  suitable  a  preparatory  service  as  has 
the  Lutheran  Church.  Where  this  preparatory 
service  is  properly  conducted  and  entered  into 
by  pastor  and  people,  it  is  a  not  unimportant 
step  in  the  Way  of  Salvation. 

Our  Church,  in  this  particular  also,  is  purely 
scriptural.    Israel  of  old  had  seasons  of  special 
preparation,  previous  to  special  manifestations 
from  God.    There  was  a  season  of  special  pre- 
paration before  the  giving  of  the  Law;  also  be- 
fore the  receiving  of  the  quails  and  the  manna 
from  heaven.    There  were  days  of  preparation 
before  and  in  connection  with  the  great  annual 
festivals,  as  well  as  in  connection  with  other 
great  national  and  religious  events.    Our  Lord, 
Himself,  observed  a  most  solemn  preparatory 
service  with  His  disciples  before  He  instituted 
the  Last  Supper.    He  not  only  spoke  very  com- 
forting words   to   them,  but  He  also  plainly 
pointed  out  to  them  their  sins,  e.  g.,  their  pride, 
their  jealousy,  their  quarrels,  their  coming  de- 
fection, the  fall  of  Peter  and  the  treachery  of 
Judas.    In  harmony  with  all  this,  Paul  directs : 
''But  let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  Um 
eat  of  that  bread  and  drink  of  that  cnp." 

And  it  is  to  aid  and  assist  the  communicant  in 
this  self-examination  that  we  have  our  prepara- 


134  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tory  service.  Its  great  object  is  to  enable  the 
communicant  to  realize  his  own  sinfulness,  to 
deepen  in  him  true  penitence  and  longing  for 
forgiveness,  and  also  to  aid  him  in  appropriat- 
ing and  rejoicing  in  the  full  and  free  for- 
giveness of  Christ.  To  this  end  we  sing  our 
penitential  hymns,  plead  for  Grace  to  know 
ourselves,  our  sinfulness,  and  the  fulness  of 
Christ's  Grace,  and  hear  such  searching  ap- 
peals from  the  pastor  as  often  pain  and  agonize 
the  heart. 

Then  follows,  on  the  part  of  the  whole  con- 
gregation, a  united,  audible  and  public  confes- 
sion of  sin,  of  sorrow  because  of  it,  of  earnest 
desire  for  forgiveness,  of  faith  in  Christ  as  the 
divine  Saviour,  and  of  an  earnest  purpose  to 
hate  and  avoid  all  sin  in  the  future.  After  this 
public  confession  in  the  presence  of  the  pastor 
and  of  one  another,  the  same  confession  is  re- 
peated, on  bended  knees,  directly  to  God.  This 
two-fold  confession — first  in  the  presence  of  the 
pastor  and  of  one  another,  and  then  directly  to 
God — is  followed  by  the  words  of  absolution 
from  the  pastor. 

In  pronouncing  the  absolution  the  minister 
uses  the  following,  or  words  to  the  same  effect : 
**  Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  having 
of  His  great  mercy  promised  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  to  all  those  who  with  hearty  repentance 
and  true  faith  turn  unto  Him,  and  having  au- 


THE   PKEPARATORY   SERVICE  135 

thorized  His  ministers  to  declare  the  same,  I 
pronounce,  to  all  who  do  truly  repent  and  be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  are  sin- 
cerely determined  to  amend  their  ways  and  lead 
a  godly  and  pious  life,  the  entire  forgiveness 
of  all  your  sins,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen. ' ' 
Then  follow  a  few  words  in  which  he  assures 
the  impenitent  and  hypocritical  that  their  sins 
are  not  forgiven,  but  will  certainly  bring  upon 
them  the  fearful  wrath  of  Almighty  God,  unless 
they  speedily  repent,  turn  from  their  sins,  and 
fly  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  refuge  and 
salvation.  This  is  the  closing  part  of  the  pre- 
paratory service,  which  is  called  Confession  and 
Absolution. 

Some  time  ago  we  were  asked,  by  a  minister 
of  another  denomination,  why  Lutherans  re- 
tained and  practiced  Eomish  confession,  and 
forgiveness  by  the  minister.  We  handed  him 
our  formula  for  Confession  and  Absolution,  and 
asked  him  to  examine  it  and  point  out  to  us 
wherein  it  was  Eomish  or  unscriptural.  After 
examination  he  handed  it  back,  saying:  ^'I 
cannot  say  that  it  is  exactly  unscriptural.  In 
fact,  I  can  easily  see  how  you  can  quote  Scrip- 
ture in  its  defense." 

And  so  we  can.  In  Matt.  xvi.  19,  Jesus  says 
to  Peter:  "I  ivill  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the 
Jcingdoin  of  heaven;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 


136  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

hind  on  earth  shall  he  hound  in  heaven;  and 
whatsoever  thou  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  he 
loosed  in  heaven.'*  In  Matt,  xviii.  18,  the 
Saviour  gives  the  same  power  in  the  same 
words  to  all  the  disciples  as  representatives  of 
the  Christian  congregation.  In  John  xx.  21-23, 
He  says  again  to  the  disciples :  ''As  my  Father 
hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you,  .... 
whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted 
unto  them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they 
are  retained.'* 

What  do  these  words  of  Christ  mean?  They 
must  mean  something.  They  must  be  of  some 
use.  Our  Lord  certainly  does  confer  some  kind 
of  authority  or  power  on  His  Church,  which  is 
His  Bride.  Does  He  hereby  give  into  her  hand 
the  keys  of  His  kingdom,  and  authorize  her  to 
dispense  its  treasures?  Does  she  through  her 
ministry,  employ  these  keys,  bring  forth 
heavenly  treasures,  and  distribute  and  with- 
hold them  among  the  children  of  men?  To  the 
Church's  ministers  Christ  says,  Luke  x.  16; 
"He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  Me;  and  he  that 
despiseth  you,  despiseth  me."  One  of  these 
ministers,  who  certainly  understood  his  office 
and  its  perogatives,  speaking  in  the  name  of 
all  true  ministers  of  Christ,  says,  2  Cor.  v.  20 : 
"Now  then  we  are  amhassadors  for  Christ,  as 
though  God  did  beseech  you  hy  us,  we  pray  you 
in  Christ's  stead,  he  ye  reconciled  to  God."    If 


THE    PREPARATORY    SERVICE  137 

we  would  see  how  this  ambassador  exercised 
his  high  authority  in  an  individual  case,  he 
tells  us  in  2  Cor.  ii.  10 :  ''If  I  forgave  anything, 
to  whom  I  forgave  it  for  your  sakes  forgave  I 
it,  in  the  person  of  Christ.' ' 

If  now  we  take  these  passages  together,  we 
must  admit  that  in  their  plain  literal  sense,  they 
do  teach  that  Christ,  the  Head  of  the  Church, 
has  in  some  sense  committed  to  His  Church 
the  power  to  remit  and  retain  sins,  and  that 
this  power  is  exercised  in  the  Chruch  through 
its  ministry. 

In  what  sense  then  has  a  minister  power  to 
remit  sin  ?    Certainly  not  by  any  inherent  virtue 
of  his  own,  nor  by  any  power  originating  in  his 
own  person.    In  this  sense  only  God  can  forgive 
sin,  as  all  sin  is  committed  against  Him.    But 
God  can  delegate  that  power  to  another,  and 
permit  him  to  use  it  in  His  name.    And  this  is 
all  the  power  any  human  being  can  have  in  this 
matter.    It  would  indeed  be  blasphemy  for  any 
man  to  claim  that  he  had  power  in  himself  to 
forgive  sins.    If  he  can  have  any  power  at  all, 
it  must  be  Christ* s  power.    He  can  only  use  it 
as  a  deputy,  as  an  ambassador,  or  as  an  agent. 
And  this  is  exactly  what  the  Word  teaches. 
The  minister  is  Christ's  ambassador.    He  be- 
seeches and  speaks  in  Christ's  stead,  as  though 
God  were  speaking  by  him.    Paul  forgave  the 
penitent  Corinthian,  not  in  his  own  name  or  by 


138  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

his  own  authority,  but  "in  the  person  of 
Christ." 

"When  a  part  of  our  country  was  in  rebellion, 
the  government  at  Washington  sent  deputies  to 
those  who  had  renounced  their  allegiance,  em- 
powered to  confer  pardon,  and  reinstate  as 
citizens,  all  who  accepted  the  government's 
terms  of  pardon.  These  agents  had  no  power 
in  themselves,  but  they  were  authorized  to 
carry  the  pardoning  power  of  the  government, 
and  to  those  who  accepted  it  from  them,  it  was 
as  valid  as  though  each  one  had  received  a 
special  proclamation  of  pardon  from  the  gov- 
ernment. Just  so  does  the  pastor,  as  Christ's 
ambassador,  offer  and  bestow  Christ's  forgive- 
ness to  the  penitent  and  believing  sinner.  He 
offers  this  pardon  only  on  the  terms  laid  down 
by  Christ.  The  means  through  which  he  con- 
veys this  pardon  is  God's  Word.  This  Word, 
preaching  repentance  and  remission  of  sins, 
when  spoken  by  the  minister,  is  just  as  effective 
as  when  it  fell  from  the  lips  of  Christ  or  His 
inspired  apostles.  Whenever  he  preaches  God's 
Word  he  does  nothing  else  than  declare  Christ's 
absolution.  It  is  the  Word  of  God,  that  still 
remits  and  retains,  that  binds  and  looses. 

The  pastor  can  only  declare  that  Word,  but 
the  Word  itself  does  effectually  work  forgive- 
ness to  him  that  rightly  receives  it.  Not  only 
can  the  minister  carry  this  Word  of  God,  this 


THE   PKEPARATORY    SERVICE  139 

key  of  the  kingdom,  tliis  power  of  God  unto 
salvation,  and  apply  it,  but  any  disciple  of 
Christ  can  do  so.  Dr.  Krauth  beautifully  says : 
"The  whole  pastoral  work  is  indeed  but  an 
extension  of  the  Lutheran  idea  of  Confession 
and  Absolution."  And  Dr.  Walther  says: 
"The  whole  Gospel  is  nothing  but  a  proclama- 
tion of  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  or  a  publication 
of  the  same  Word  to  all  men  on  earth,  which 
God  Himself  confirms  in  heaven."  Dr.  Seiss 
somewhere  says:  "Every  time  a  believer  in 
Christ  sits  down  beside  a  troubled  and  penitent 
one,  and  speaks  to  such  an  one  Christ's  pre- 
cious promises  and  assurances  of  forgiveness, 
he  carries  out  the  Lutheran  or  scriptural  idea 
of  absolution. ' ' 

And  even  the  minister  of  another  denomina- 
tion, above  referred  to,  acknowledged  to  the 
writer,  that  when  he  found  one  of  his  parish- 
ioners of  whom  he  was  convinced  that  she  was 
a  true  penitent,  despondent  on  account  of  her 
sins,  he  unhesitatingly  said  to  her,  "Your  sins 
are  forgiven  by  Christ." 

We  had  intended  to  still  say  something  about 
the  public  confession  of  Israel  at  Mizpeh,  1 
Sam.  V.  6,  and  of  the  multitudes  who  went  out 
to  John  the  Baptist,  Matt.  viii.  6;  also  of  the 
private  Confession  and  Absolution  of  David 
and  Nathan,  2  Sam.  xii.  13.  But  each  one  can 
examine  these  cases  for  himself.    Enough  has 


140  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

been  said  to  assure  us  that  our  Church,  in  this 
matter  also,  is  grounded  on  the  eternal  Word 
of  God,  and  that  she  did  wisely  when,  after  re- 
pudiating the  blasphemous  practices  of  the 
Romish  confessional,  she  yet  retained  an  evan- 
gelical Confession  and  Absolution. 

When  we  therefore  hear  the  declaration  of 
absolution  from  God's  Word,  let  us  believe  it, 
''even  as  if  it  were  a  voice  sounding  from 
heaven. '  * 

Therefore  the  Augsburg  Confession,  Art. 
XXV,  says  that ' '  On  account  of  the  very  great 
benefit  of  Absolution,  as  well  as  for  other  uses 
to  the  conscience.  Confession  is  retained  among 
us." 

Such  evangelical  Confession  and  Absolution 
establishes  and  maintains  the  true  relation  that 
should  exist  between  an  evangelical  pastor  and 
the  members  of  his  flock.  Instead  of  a  mere 
preacher,  a  platform  orator,  he  becomes  a  true 
spiritual  guide,  a  curate  for  the  cure  of  souls. 
He  encourages  his  members  to  reveal  to  him 
their  weaknesses,  their  besetting  sins,  their 
doubts  and  spiritual  conflicts,  in  order  that  he 
may  instruct,  direct,  comfort  and  strengthen 
them  with  the  all-sufficient  and  powerful  Word 
of  God. 

And  thus,  wherever  he  finds  true  penitence 
and  faith,  however  weak,  he  carries  out  the 
divine  commission  which  directs  him:    "Com- 


THE   PREPABATORY    SERVICE  141 

fort  ye,  comfort  ye  my  people,  saith  the  Lord, 
speak  ye  comfortably  to—i.  e.,  speak  ye  to  the 
heart  of — Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her  that  her 
warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is 
pardoned;  for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's 
hand  double  for  all  her  sins,*'  Is.  40,  1,  2.* 

"How  beauteous  are  their  feet. 

Who  stand  on  Zion's  Hill! 
Who  bring  salvation  on  their  tongues, 
And  Words  of  peace  reveal. 

"How  charming  is  their  voice! 

How  sweet  the  tidings  are! 
'Zion  behold  thy  Saviour  King; 

He  reigns  and  triumphs  here,'" 

*  See  further  on  this  whole  subject  of  Confession  and 
Absolution,  The  Lutheran  Catechist,  Chapter  xxiv.  Also 
The  Lutheran  Pastor,  Chapter  xiv. 


CHAPTER  XVn. 
The  Wokd  As  a  Means  of  Grace. 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  learned  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  the  key  of  the  kingdom,  which  key- 
Christ  has  given  to  His  Church,  and  that  this 
Word,  declared  by  the  pastor,  does  really  con- 
vey and  apply  the  forgiveness  of  sins  to  the 
penitent  and  believing.  Following  out  this 
idea,  we  wish  now  to  show  that  God's  Word  is 
the  power  and  the  effective  means  through 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  on  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  the  children  of  men. 

The  popular  idea  in  regard  to  the  use  of  the 
Word,  seems  to  be  that  it  is  intended  to  be 
merely  a  book  of  instruction  and  a  guide — that 
its  purpose  is  merely  to  tell  us  about  sin  and 
salvation;  that  like  a  guide-post  it  points  out 
the  way  of  salvation,  and  shows  the  necessity 
of  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness.  That  it  tells 
about  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  effect  a 
change  of  heart,  and  that  further  than  this  it 
affords  no  help  for  fallen  man.  A  poor  sinner 
goes  to  that  Word.  He  reads  it,  or  hears  it 
preached.    He  learns  indeed  that  he  is  a  sinner, 

142 


THE   WORD   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GRACE  143 

but  he  has  no  deliverance  from  sin.  He  learns 
of  Christ's  redemption,  but  its  benefits  are  not 
applied  to  him.  He  sees  that  he  must  repent 
and  believe,  but  by  his  own  reason  and  strength 
he  cannot.  He  learns  further,  that  he  needs 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  him  to  repent  and 
believe,  but,  according  to  the  current  opinion, 
that  Spirit  is  not  in  the  Word,  nor  effective 
through  it,  but  operates  independently  of  it. 
The  using  of  the  divine  Word  is  at  best  an  oc- 
casion that  the  Spirit  may  use  for  independent 
operation.  He  might  go  from  his  Bible  and 
from  many  a  sermon  and  say:  "I  know  I  need 
religion— I  need  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  I  hope 
that  at  some  time  the  Spirit  may  come  to  me 
and  bless  me  with  pardon  and  peace,  but  I 
cannot  tell  when  or  how  this  may  be."  Ac- 
cording to  this  popular  conception,  the  Holy 
Spirit  might  be  compared  to  a  dove  flying 
about,  and  alighting  at  hap-hazard  now  on  this 
one  and  then  on  that  one. 

The  Lutheran  Church  does  not  so  understand 
the  teaching  and  claims  of  the  Word  concern- 
ing itself.  According  to  her  faith  the  Word 
of  God  is  more  than  a  book  of  information.  It 
not  only  tells  about  sin  and  salvation,  but  de- 
livers from  sin  and  confers  salvation.  It  not 
only  points  out  the  way  of  life,  but  it  leads, 
nay  more,  we  might  say,  it  carries  us  into  and 
along  that  way.    It  not  only  instructs  concern- 


144  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

ing  the  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  it  conveys 
that  Spirit  to  the  very  mind  and  heart.  It  is 
indeed  a  precious  truth,  that  this  Word  not  only 
tells  me  what  I  must  do  to  be  saved,  but  it 
also  enables  me  to  do  it.  It  is  indeed  the  prin- 
cipal means  of  Grace.  It  is  the  vehicle  and  in- 
strument of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Through  it  the 
Holy  Spirit  works  repentance  and  faith. 
Through  it  He  regenerates,  converts,  and  sanc- 
tifies. 

This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
concerning  the  use  and  efficacy  of  the  divine 
Word.  Luther's  Small  Catechism,  Apostles' 
Creed,  Art.  III.  explanation  says:  *'I  be- 
lieve that  I  cannot  by  my  own  reason  or 
strength  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord,  or 
come  to  Him;  but  that  the  Holy  Spirit  hath 
called  me  through  the  Gospel,  enlightened  me 
by  His  gifts,"  etc.  Thus  also  Augsburg  Con- 
fession, Art.  V. :  ^ '  For  by  the  Word  and  Sacra- 
ments, as  by  instruments,  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
given;  who  worketh  faith,  where  and  when  it 
pleaseth  God,  in  those  that  hear  the  Gospel'* 

Is  this  the  teaching  of  the  Word  itself?  Let 
us  see.  In  John  vi.  63,  Jesus  says:  ''The 
words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit 
and  they  are  life.''  In  Eomans  i.  16,  Paul  says 
of  the  Gospel:  "It  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth."  Heb. 
iv.  12:    "For  the  ivord  of  God  is  quick  (living) 


THE   WORD  AS   A   MEANS    OF   GRACE  145 

and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword."  1  Peter  i.  23:  ''Born  again  not  of 
corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the 
Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth  for- 
ever." James  i.  21:  ''Receive  with  meekness 
the  engrafted  Word,  which  is  able  to  save  your 
souls."  It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the  Word 
does  claim  for  itself  virtue,  life,  power,  and 
effectiveness. 

But  does  it  claim  to  be  the  Spirit's  means 
and  instrument,  by  and  through  which  He 
operates?  In  2  Cor.  iii.  8,  it  is  called  a  "minis- 
tration of  the  Spirit."  In  Eph.  vi.  17,  Paul 
calls  it  the  "sword  of  the  Spirit." 

We  learn  the  same  truth  from  the  fact  that 
the  same  effects  are  ascribed  indiscriminately 
to  the  Spirit  and  to  the  Word,  showing  clearly 
that  where  one  is,  there  the  other  is  also,  and 
that  one  acts  through  the  other. 

Thus  the  divine  call  is  ascribed  in  one  place 
to  the  Spirit,  and  in  another  to  the  Word.  Eev. 
xxii.  17.  "The  Spirit  .  .  .  says  come."  In 
the  parables,  Christ's  ministers,  preaching  the 
Word,  say:    "Come,  for  all  things  are  ready." 

In  like  manner,  enlightening,  or  teaching,  is 
ascribed  to  both.  John  xiv.  26,  Jesus  says  of 
the  Spirit:  "He  shall  teach  you  all  things;" 
chapter  xvi.  13,  "He  shall  guide  you  into  all 
truth."  He  is  called  a  "spirit  of  wisdom" — a 
"spirit  of  light."   On  the  other  hand,  the  Word 


146  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

is  called  a  ''Word  of  wisdom;"  also,  Ps.  cxix. 
130;  *'The  entrance  of  thy  Word  giveth 
light;"  2  Tim.  iii.  15:  The  Scriptures  are  said 
to  be  *^able  to  make  wise  unto  salvation;"  2 
Pet.  i.  19:  It  is  as  ''a  light  that  shineth  in  a 
dark  place." 

So,  also,  regeneration  is  ascribed  to  both. 
John  iii.  5 :  ''Born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit;" 
verse  6:  *'That  which  is  horn  of  the  Spirit  is 
spirit;"  verse  8 :  "So  is  every  one  that  is  horn 
of  the  Spirit;"  1  John  v.  4:  "For  whatsoever 
is  horn  of  God  {i.  e.,  of  God's  Spirit)  over- 
cometh  the  world."  But  of  the  divine  Word 
it  is  said,  1  Pet.  i.  23,  "Born  again  .  .  .  by 
the  Word  of  God;"  James  i.  18:  "Of  his  own 
will  begat  he  us,  with  the  Word  of  truth." 

In  like  manner,  sanctification  is  ascribed  to 
both  John  xvii.  17:  "Sanctify  them  through 
thy  truth;  thy  Word  is  truth;"  but  1  Cor.  vi. 
11,  "Ye  are  sanctified  ,  .  ,  by  the  Spirit 
of  our  God." 

And  thus  we  might  go  on,  and  show  that  what 
is  ascribed  in  one  place  to  the  Spirit,  is  ascribed 
in  another  place  to  the  Word — proving  con- 
clusively that  the  two  always  go  together. 
Where  one  is,  there  the  other  is  also.  The 
Spirit  operates  through  the  Word,  whether  it 
be  the  written,  the  preached,  the  sacramental, 
or  the  Word  in  conversation  or  reflection.  The 
ordinary  operations   of  the   Holy  Spirit  are 


THE   WORD   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GRACE  147 

through  that  Word.  Those  who  are  renewed 
and  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit  are  those  who 
have  been  influenced  by  this  regenerating  and 
sanctifying  Word. 

This  blessed  Word  of  God,  quick,  powerful, 
able  to  save  the  soul,  because  of  the  life-giving 
Spirit  connected  with  it,  is  not  only  to  be  read, 
but  to  be  preached  and  heard.  This  is  God's 
own  arrangement.  From  the  days  of  Enoch, 
Noah,  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  down  to 
Jesus  and  the  apostles,  and  from  them  to  the 
end  of  the  Gospel  dispensation,  He  has  had 
and  will  have  His  preachers  of  righteousness. 

Our  Lord  preached  His  own  Gospel,  the 
words  of  spirit  and  of  life.  He  commissioned 
His  apostles  to  preach  the  same  Gospel.  They 
'^tuent  everywhere  preaching  the  Word."  The 
Church  called  and  sent  others,  whose  life-work 
it  was  to  ^^ preach  the  Word,  to  be  instant  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  reproving,  rebuking, 
exhorting.*'  And  this  divine  arrangement  is 
to  continue.  Rom.  x.  13-15:  ''For  whosoever 
shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  shall  be 
saved;  how  then  shall  they  call  on  Him  in  whom 
they  have  not  believed?  And  how  shall  they 
believe  in  Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard? 
And  how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher? 
And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be 
sent?"  1  Cor.  1.  21:  "It  pleased  God  by  the 
foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them  that  be- 


148  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

lieve;"  Rom.  x.  17:  ''So  then  faith  cometh  hy 
hearing,  and  hearing  hy  the  Word  of  God." 
Therefore,  according  to  Eom.  x.  6-8,  let  no  one 
say,  "Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  {i.  e.,  to 
bring  Christ  down  from  above),  or  who  shall 
descend  into  the  deep?  {i.  e.,  to  bring  Christ  up 
again  from  the  dead)  for  "the  Word  is  nigh 
thee  .  .  .  that  is  the  Word  of  faith  which 
we  preach."  This  then  is  evidently  God's 
order  of  the  application  of  divine  Grace. 

And  yet,  notwithstanding  these  plain  declara- 
tions, men  try  all  sorts  of  measures  and 
methods  to  bring  Christ  near,  because  they  can- 
not understand  that  when  they  have  the  Word, 
they  have  the  Spirit,  and  when  they  have  the 
Spirit,  they  have  Christ.  In  Luke  xi.  27,  we 
read  how  a  woman  called  down  a  blessing  on 
the  mother  of  our  Lord  because  she  was  privi- 
leged to  have  borne  Him.  But  Jesus  answered, 
"Yea,  rather  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the 
Word  of  God  and  keep  it."  That  Word 
carries  the  Spirit  to  the  hearer,  and  through  it 
converts  the  sinner  and  sanctifies  the  saint.  In 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  also  we  read  how 
again  and  again  the  Spirit  was  given  through 
and  in  connection  with  the  Word.  The  Apostles 
depended  on  nothing  but  Word  and  Sacrament. 

The  Lutheran  doctrine,  then,  that  the  Word 
of  God  is  the  great  effectual  means  of  Grace; 
that  it  is  the  vehicle  and  instrument  of  the 


THE   WOKD   AS   A   MEANS    OF   GEACE  149 

Holy  Spirit;  that  through  it,  the  Spirit  renews 
the  soul,  applies  forgiveness,  and  sanctifies  the 
hearer  or  reader  more  and  more — is  the  pure 
truth  of  Christ.  Hence,  wherever  the  Lutheran 
Church  is  true  to  her  name  and  faith,  she 
preaches  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  and  relies 
on  that  for  ingathering  and  upbuilding.  A 
true  Lutheran  pulpit  cannot  be  a  sensational 
pulpit,  for  discoursing  wordly  wisdom,  philoso- 
phy, poetry,  or  politics.  It  must  expound  the 
Word,  and  never  gets  done  preaching  repent- 
ance towards  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

What  a  beautiful  and  harmonious  system  of 
God's  methods  of  saving  men  is  thus  brought 
into  view !  How  helpful  to  the  sinner  desiring 
salvation !  Instead  of  waiting  and  hoping  and 
dreaming  of  something  wonderful  to  happen 
to  bring  him  into  the  kingdom,  he  needs  only 
to  go  to  the  divine  Word  and  let  that  Word  do 
its  work  in  his  heart. 

"Though  devils  all  the  world  should  fill, 

All  watching  to  devour  us, 
We  tremble  not,  we  fear  no  ill, 

They  cannot  overpower  us. 
This  world's  prince  may  still 
Scowl  fierce  as  he  will. 
He  can  harm  us  none, 
He's  judged,  the  deed  is  done, 
One  little  Word  o'erthrows  him. 


150  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

"The  Word  they  still  shall  let  remain, 

And  not  a  thank  have  for  it, 
He's  by  our  side  upon  the  plain, 

With  His  good  gifts  and  Spirit; 
Take  they  then  our  life. 
Goods,  fame,  child  and  wife; 
When  their  worst  is  done. 
They  yet  have  nothing  won, 
The  Kingdom  ours  remaineth." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Conversion,  Its  Nature  and  Necessity. 

CLOSELY  related  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
power,  or  efficacy,  of  the  divine  Word — as 
considered  in  the  last  chapter — is  the  doctrine 
of  conversion.  It  is  the  subject  of  conversion, 
therefore,  that  we  now  purpose  to  examine.  It 
is  an  important  subject.  It  deserves  a  promi- 
nent place  in  treating  of  the  Way  of  Salvation. 
It  is  also  an  intensely  personal  subject.  Each 
one  who  desires  to  be  in  the  Way  of  Salvation 
is  personally  interested  in  it.  The  eternal  des- 
tiny of  every  one  who  reads  these  pages  is 
closely  connected  with  the  question  whether  or 
not  he  is  converted.  To  be  in  an  unconverted 
state,  is  to  be  in  a  state  of  great  peril.  The 
issues  of  eternity  are  involved  in  the  final  de- 
cision of  the  soul,  in  reference  to  this  great  sub- 
ject. It  is  of  the  most  vital  importance,  there- 
fore, that  each  one  examine  and  understand  it. 
And  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  are 
few  subjects  concerning  which  those  interested 
are  more  in  the  dark.  Stranger  still,  often 
those  who  preach  and  talk  most  about  it,  who 

151 


152  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

are  loudest  in  proclaiming  its  necessity,  know 
least  about  it.  Ask  them  as  to  its  meaning,  its 
nature,  its  elements.  Ask  them  who  need  it, 
how  it  is  brought  about,  and  what  are  the  evi- 
dences of  its  existence;  and  they  give  at  best 
very  confused  and  unscriptural  answers.  We 
therefore  propose  to  examine  it  in  the  light  of 
the  Word  of  God,  and  may  He,  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  enable  us  to  know  and  believe  its  divine 
teachings !  * 

What  then  is  conversion?  The  original  and 
simple  meaning  of  the  word  convert  is  to  turn 
— to  turn  about.  This  is  also  the  meaning  of 
the  Latin  word  from  which  the  English  comes. 
The  Greek  word,  which  in  the  New  Testament 
is  translated  ''convert"  or  "conversion,"  also 
refers  to  the  act  of  turning.  It  is  so  translated 
quite  frequently.  Thus  the  same  Greek  word 
that  is  in  some  places  translated  convert,  is  in 
other  places  translated  turned,  e.  g.,  as  in  Mark 
V.  30:  **  Jesus  .  .  .  turned  him  about  in 
the  press."  Acts  xvi.  18:  ''But  Paul  .  .  . 
turned  and  said."  Matt.  xii.  44:  "7  will  re- 
turn into  my  house. ' '  Acts  xxvi.  18 :  "To  turn 
them  from  darkness  to  light. ' '  And  so  in  many 
other  places.  It  is  plain,  then,  that  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  is  a  turning  or  facing  about — 
a  returning,  or  a  changing  of  direction — as  if  a 

*  For  an  examination  and  application  of  Bible  examples 
of  Conversion,  see  the  book  "New  Testament  Conversions." 


CONVEKSION,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY        153 

traveler,  on  finding  himself  going  the  wrong 
way,  turns,  returns,  changes  his  course,  comes 
back,  he  converts  himself. 

Applying  this  word  now  to  a  moral  or  re- 
ligious use,  it  means  a  turning  from  sin  to 
righteousness,  from  Satan  to  God.  The  trans- 
gressor who  had  been  walking  in  the  way  of 
disobedience  and  enmity  against  God,  and  to- 
wards eternal  death,  is  turned  about  into  the 
way  of  righteousness,  towards  eternal  life. 
This  is  a  change  of  direction,  but  it  is  also  some- 
thing more.  It  is  a  change  of  state— from  a 
state  of  sin  to  a  state  of  Grace.  It  is  still  more. 
It  is  a  change  of  nature— from  a  sinner  unto  a 
saint.  It  is  finally  a  change  of  relation— from 
an  outcast  and  stranger  unto  a  child  and  heir. 
Thus  there  is  an  outward  and  an  inward  turn- 
ing, a  complete  change. 

That  this  is  the  scriptural  meaning  of  con- 
version is  very  clear  from  Acts  xxvi.  18.  The 
Lord  is  about  to  send  Paul  to  the  Gentiles  for 
the  purpose  of  converting  them.  He  describes 
the  work  of  conversion  thus:  ''To  open  their 
eyes  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God;  that 
they  may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  in- 
heritance among  them  which  are  sanctified  hy 
faith  that  is  in  me.'* 

As  already  remarked,  the  word  here  trans- 


154  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

lated  to  '"turn"  is  the  same  that  is  elsewhere 
translated  to  ''convert." 

If  we  now  inquire  more  particularly  into  the 
nature  or  process  of  this  change  which  is  called 
*' conversion,"  we  find  in  it  two  constituent  ele- 
ments. The  one  is  penitence  or  contrition,  the 
other  is  faith.  Taken  together,  they  make  up 
conversion.  In  passing,  we  may  briefly  notice 
that  sometimes  the  Scriptures  use  the  word 
"repentance"  as  embracing  both  penitence  and 
faith,  thus  making  it  synonymous  with  con- 
version. 

Penitence  or  contrition,  as  the  first  part  of 
conversion,  is  sorrow  for  sin.  It  is  a  realizing 
sense  of  the  nature  and  guilt  of  sin,  of  its 
heinousness  and  its  damnable  character.  True 
penitence  is  indeed  a  painful  experience.  A 
penitent  heart  is,  therefore,  called  ''a  broJcen 
and  a  contrite  heart."  It  takes  from  the  sin- 
ner his  self-satisfaction  and  false  peace.  It 
makes  him  restless,  dissatisfied  and  troubled. 
Instead  of  loving  and  delighting  in  sin,  it  makes 
him  hate  sin  and  turn  from  it  with  aversion.  It 
brings  the  sinner  low  in  the  dust.  He  cries 
out,  ''/  am  vile;**  ''I  loathe  myself;"  *'God 
he  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.** 

This  is  the  penitence  insisted  on  by  the  pro- 
phets, breathed  forth  in  the  penitential  psalms, 
preached  by  John  the  Baptist,  by  Christ  and 
by  all  His  apostles.    It  is  not  necessary  to  quote 


CONVERSIOISr,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY        155 

passages  in  proof  of  this.  Every  Bible  reader 
knows  that  the  Word  is  full  of  exhortations  to 
such  sorrow  and  repenting  for  sin. 

But  penitence  must  not  stop  with  hating  and 
bemoaning  sin,  and  longing  for  deliverance. 
The  penitent  sinner  must  resolutely  turn  from 
sin  towards  Jesus  Christ  the  Saviour.  He 
must  believe  that  He  took  upon  Himself  the 
punishment  due  to  his  sins,  and  by  His  death 
atoned  for  them;  that  He  satisfied  a  violated 
law,  and  an  offended  Law-giver;  that  thus  He 
has  become  his  Substitute  and  Redeemer,  and 
has  taken  away  all  his  sins.  This  the  penitent 
must  believe.  Thus  must  he  cast  himself  upon 
Christ,  and  trust  in  Him  with  a  childlike  confi- 
dence, knowing  that  there  is  now,  therefore,  no 
condemnation.  Having  this  faith,  he  is  justi- 
fied, and  '*  being  justified  by  faith,  he  has  peace 
with  God." 

True  penitence  always  grows  into  faith,  and 
true  faith  always  presupposes  penitence. 
Where  one  is,  there  the  other  is:  and  where 
both  are,  there  is  conversion.  Penitence,  there- 
fore, is  not  something  that  goes  before  conver- 
sion, and  faith  something  that  follows  after, 
and  conversion  an  indefinable  something  sand- 
wiched in  between,  as  some  seem  to  imagine; 
but  penitence  and  faith  are  the  constituent  ele- 
ments that  make  up  conversion. 

In  the  next  place  we  would  inquire:     Who 


156  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

needs  this  change?  We  answer,  first,  all  who 
are  not  in  a  state  of  loving  obedience  to  God; 
that  is,  all  who  are  not  turned  away  from  and 
against  sin  and  Satan,  and  turned  toward  holi- 
ness and  God.  On  the  other  hand,  all  who 
really  hate  sin,  mourn  over  it,  strive  against 
it,  trust  in  and  cling  to  Christ  as  their  personal 
Redeemer,  need  no  conversion.  No  matter 
whether  they  can  tell  where  and  when  and  how 
they  were  converted  or  not.  All  who  know  by 
blessed  experience  that  they  now  have  in  their 
hearts  the  elements  of  penitence  and  faith,  are 
in  a  state  of  conversion,  and  if  they  earnestly 
ask  God  they  may  have  the  assurance  that  their 
sins  are  forgiven  and  that  they  are  accepted 
in  the  Beloved.  True,  this  assurance  may  some- 
times be  dimmed  by  doubt  or  under  the  strain 
of  strong  temptation;  but  as  long  as  there  is 
real  hatred  of  sin  and  an  earnest  desire  to 
rest  in  Christ  alone,  there  is  Grace  and  accept- 
ance with  Christ. 

To  the  class  of  those  who  are  in  a  converted 
state  belong  those  baptized  children  of  the 
Church  who  have  kept  their  baptismal  covenant. 
Given  to  Christ  in  holy  baptism,  the  seeds  of 
the  new  life  implanted  through  that  divine  or- 
dinance, reared  and  trained  by  Christian 
parents  or  guardians,  they  have  belonged  to 
Christ  from  their  childhood.  From  their 
earliest  years  they  have  hated  sin,  repented 


CONVERSION,  ITS  NAME  AND  NECESSITY        157 

of  it,  trusted  in  Christ,  and  loved  Him.  They 
are  *' turned  from  darkness  to  light  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  to  God.*'  They  need  only 
that  daily  dying  to  sin,  and  that  daily  turning  to 
Christ,  which  all  Christians  need  on  account  of 
the  sins  and  infirmities  of  the  flesh  which  still 
cleave  to  them.  Such  were  Joseph,  and  Samuel, 
and  Daniel,  and  Jeremiah,  and  John  the  Bap- 
tist, and  Timothy,  and  others  of  whom  we  read 
in  the  Scriptures.  They  were  children  of  the 
covenant,  and  therefore  children  of  God.  Of 
this  class  we  have  written  in  former  chapters. 
We  need  not  enlarge  on  them  here.  They  need 
no  conversion,  because  they  are  in  a  converted 
state.  Yet  there  are  well-meaning  people,  who 
have  more  zeal  than  knowledge,  who  would 
violently  exhort  even  such  to  be  converted. 
Thus  would  they  confuse  them,  distract  them, 
unsettle  their  faith  in  Christ,  quench  the  Spirit, 
and,  perhaps,  drive  them  to  unbelief  and 
despair.  From  all  such  teachers,  we  pray: 
' '  Good  Lord,  deliver  us. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Conversion — ^Vabied  Phenomena  or 
Experiences 

WE  have  spoken  of  the  meaning  of  this  term, 
inquired  into  the  nature  of  the  change,  and 
noted  its  essential  elements.  We  have  also 
learned  that  there  are  some  who  do  not  need 
it  because  they  are  in  a  converted  state,  and 
that  all  who  are  not  in  such  a  state  of  Grace, 
do  need  conversion,  regardless  of  anything 
that  may  or  may  not  have  taken  place  in  the 
past. 

We  inquire  now  as  to  the  agencies  or  means 
by  which  this  change  is  brought  about.  For  it 
is  a  change  which  man  can  certainly  not  effect 
by  his  own  efforts.  Of  this  change  it  can  cer- 
tainly be  said  that  it  is  '^not  hy  might,  nor  by 
power,  hut  hy  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.**  To 
have  this  change  brought  about  in  the  heart, 
all  need  to  pray  in  the  words  of  the  Psalmist, 
Ps.  Ixxxv.  4,  ''Turn  us,  0  God  of  our  salva- 
tion;'* or  as  Ephraim  in  Jer.  xxxi.  18,  "Turn 
thou  me  and  I  shall  he  turned,  for  thou  art  the 
Lord  my  God;'*  or  as  Judah  in  Lamentations, 

158 


CONVERSION — PHENOMENA  OK   EXPERIENCE      159 

V.  21,  "Turn  thou  us  unto  thee,  0  Lord,  and  we 
shall  be  turned."  It  is  God  the  Holy  Ghost 
who  must  work  this  change  in  the  soul.  This 
He  does  through  His  own  life-giving  Word. 
It  is  the  office  of  that  Word,  as  the  organ  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  to  bring  about  a  knowledge 
of  sin,  to  awaken  sorrow  and  contrition,  and  to 
make  the  sinner  hate  and  turn  from  his  sin. 
That  same  Word  then  directs  the  sinner  to 
Him  who  came  to  save  him  from  sin.  It  takes 
him  to  the  cross,  it  enables  him  to  believe  that 
his  sins  were  all  atoned  for  there,  and  that, 
therefore,  he  is  not  condemned.  In  other 
words,  the  Word  of  God  awakens  and  con- 
stantly deepens  true  penitence.  It  also  begets 
and  constantly  increases  true  faith.  Or,  in  one 
word,  it  converts  the  sinner.  Of  this  wonder- 
ful power  and  efficacy  in  the  Word,  we  have 
already  fully  written,  so  that  we  need  not  en- 
ter upon  this  again.  To  the  Word,  then,  let 
the  unconverted  sinner  go.  Let  him  be  care- 
ful to  put  no  barrier  in  the  way  of  its  influence. 
Let  him  permit  it  to  have  free  course,  and  it 
will  do  its  own  blessed  work. 

We  desire  now  to  notice  and  to  call  special 
attention  to  the  diversified  phenomena  and  ex- 
periences incident  to  this  change. 

There  are  some,  indeed,  who  will  not  admit 
that  there  are  any  variations.  They  would 
measure  all  by  the  same  standard,  and  that 


160  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

standard  often  a  very  abnormal  one.  With 
some,  the  only  standard  is  their  own  distorted 
experience.  In  their  pharisaic  self-righteous- 
ness they  are  ready  to  assert  that  every  one 
whose  experience  does  not  in  every  respect 
conform  to  their  own  is  not  converted.  The 
writer  has  frequently,  in  his  pastoral  work,  met 
poor,  downcast  souls,  who  were  groping  in  the 
dark,  bemoaning  themselves,  and  living  a  cheer- 
less life,  because  they  had  been  taught  that,  as 
they  had  not  had  an  experience  just  like  some- 
body else,  they  were  not  converted,  and  had 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  He 
has  also  met  more  than  one  who,  by  just  such 
vagaries  and  delusions,  had  been  driven  to  un- 
belief and  despair.  And  what  a  relief  it  often 
is  to  such  poor,  benighted  ones,  if  they  are 
not  too  far  gone,  to  be  led  out  of  their  vain 
imaginings  into  the  blessed  light  of  God's 
truth. 

We  notice,  first,  that  not  all  conversions  are 
alike  clearly  marked.  Some  are  more  strongly 
marked  than  others.  There  are  greater  and 
lesser  degrees  of  intensity  in  the  change.  The 
degree  of  intensity,  or  depth  of  experience,  may 
depend  on  several  things.  It  may  depend,  to 
a  certain  extent,  on  the  temperament  of  the  in- 
dividual. One  person  is  of  a  phlegmatic  tem- 
perament; his  mind  is  sluggish;  his  feelings 
are  not  deep ;  he  rarely  becomes  excited.    Of  a 


CONVERSION — PHENOMENA   OR   EXPERIENCE      161 

cool,  calculating  disposition,  he  does  everything 
deliberately  and  cautiously.  He  feels  the 
ground  before  him  ere  he  takes  a  step.  When 
God's  Word  comes  to  such  an  one  it  does  not 
generally  revolutionize  him  at  once.  He  hears 
it,  carries  it  home,  weighs  it,  ponders  it,  and 
wants  to  hear  more.  Gradually,  slowly,  his 
mind  is  enlightened,  his  heart  is  moved,  his  will 
is  changed.  In  him  the  Word  is  likely  to  grow 
as  a  seedy  or  operate  like  leaven  in  meal.  There 
is  seldom  much  excitement,  and  little  outward 
manifestation. 

Another  is  of  a  sanguine  temperagnent ;  he  is 
impulsive,  easily  aroused,  and  ready  to  jump 
at  conclusions.  When  God's  Word  comes  to 
him,  and  is  not  wilfully  opposed,  it  is  likely  to 
take  a  strong  hold  of  him.  It  may  so  alarm  him 
and  take  away  his  peace  that  he  may  at  once  see 
the  deptli  of  his  guilt.  Again,  when  Christ,  His 
atonement  and  love  for  guilty  men  are  pre- 
sented he  may  quickly  lay  hold  of  the  hope  set 
before  him  in  the  Gospel,  and  rest  himself  en- 
tirely on  Christ.  God's  Word  comes  to  him  like 
a  hammer  that  breaks  the  stony  heart.  Both 
persons  have  been  led  by  the  same  Spirit, 
through  the  same  Word.  Both  have  repented 
and  believed,  but  each  in  his  own  way. 

The  degree  of  intensity  may  also  depend  on 
the  former  life  of  the  person. 

One  has  wandered  very  far  from  his  Father's 


162  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

house.  He  has  wasted  his  substance  in  riotous 
living.  He  has  sunken  very  low  in  sin  and  guilt. 
When  God's  Word  comes  to  such  an  one,  and 
shows  him  his  wretched  state,  when  he  comes 
to  himself,  his  penitence  is  likely  to  be  deep  and 
painful,  and  when  he  is  enabled  to  believe,  his 
faith  will  probably  be  quite  joyful,  because  he 
realizes  the  depth  from  which  he  was  drawn. 
God's  Word  has  acted  on  him  like  a  fire,  burn- 
ing deep  down  into  the  conscience,  consuming 
its  dross. 

Another  has  never  wandered  so  far  away. 
He  has  all  along  been  more  or  less  under  divine 
influence.  Baptized  in  childhood,  brought  up 
amid  Christian  restraints,  he  has  at  least  ob- 
served the  outward  obligations  of  religion, 
though  he  may  not  in  the  past  have  yielded  him- 
self unreservedly  unto  Christ.  When  such  an 
one  does  give  himself  to  God,  his  repentance 
may  not  be  so  marked,  or  his  faith  be  so  demon- 
strative, but  on  this  account  the  conversion  is 
none  the  less  real.  God's  Word,  at  length, 
opened  his  heart,  as  the  heart  of  Lydia,  the  sel- 
ler of  purple,  was  opened. 

We  notice  in  the  next  place  that  there  are 
differences  in  the  duration  of  the  process.  With 
some  the  process  lasts  longer  than  with  others. 
This  fact  is  implied  indeed  in  the  variations 
noted  above.  On  one  person  the  Word  may 
make  but  a  superficial  impression  at  first.    It 


CONVEESION PHENOMENA    OR   EXPERIENCE      163 

may  be  only  a  slight  dissatisfaction  with  self. 
But  with  more  light  and  knowledge,  the  feeling 
of  penitence  is  deepened.  Longings  for  some- 
thing better  are  awakened.  Yearnings  and  out- 
cryings  after  deliverance  arise  from  the  heart. 
There  is  then  at  first  only  a  timid  trembling 
look  to  Christ.  Gradually,  slowly,  the  faith  is 
drawn  out,  until  the  heart  is  enabled  to  cast 
itself  on  the  Saviour  and  rest  trustingly  there. 
It  may  be  weeks,  months,  or  even  years,  before 
that  penitent  one  comes  out  into  the  clear  sun- 
light of  assurance  and  peace.  In  all  such  cases 
it  is  ''first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  and  then  the 
full  corn  in  the  ear.'* 

On  the  other  hand,  we  freely  admit  that  there 
are  sudden  conversions.  God's  word  comes  as 
a  hammer  or  as  a  fire  ( Jer.  xxiii.  29).  It  smites 
and  burns  until  the  sinner  is  brought  low  in  the 
dust.  The  heart  is  broken  and  becomes  con- 
trite and  ready  to  lay  hold  of  the  Crucified 
One,  as  soon  as  He  is  presented.  To  this  class 
generally,  belong  some  of  those  noted  above 
who  are  of  a  sanguine  temperament,  and  those 
who  have  fallen  deeply  into  sin.  Going  to  the 
Word  of  God  for  examples  of  the  two  latter 
classes,  we  might  mention  Zaccheus,  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  the  Philippian  jailer,  and  the  three 
thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  as  cases  of 
sudden  conversion — while  we  might  instance 
the  disciples  of  Christ  in  general,  as  cases  of 


164  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

slow  and  gradual  conversion.  1  Cor.  xii.  6, 
"There  are  diversities  of  operation,  hut  it  is 
the  same  God  ivhich  worketh  all  in  all." 

From  all  this  it  follows  that  not  every  one 
can  tell  the  exact  time  when,  and  the  place 
where  he  was  converted.  Trne,  some  can. 
Zaccheus  and  the  Jailor,  and  Saul,  and  the 
three  thousand,  would  doubtless  always  remem- 
ber and  be  able  to  tell  about  the  time  and  place 
and  circumstances  of  their  entrance  into  the 
kingdom.  But  could  the  apostles  of  Jesus  tell? 
Do  we  not  read  how  slowly  they  were  enlight- 
ened ;  how,  little  by  little,  their  errors  had  to  be 
removed,  and  the  truth  applied?  They  did  not, 
in  fact,  become  established  in  the  faith  until 
after  the  resurrection. 

And  so  it  is  with  many,  probably  indeed, 
with  most  of  the  very  best  Christians  in  the 
church  to-day.  They  cannot  tell  when  they 
were  converted. 

Neither  is  it  necessary.  On  the  Day  of  Judg- 
ment the  question  will  not  be  asked:  ''Where 
and  when  and  how  were  you  converted?"  The 
question  will  be,  ''Were  you  in  a  converted 
state,  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  to  God?"  No  matter 
whether  you  belonged  to  that  favored  class  who 
kept  their  baptismal  covenant  unbroken;  or 
whether,  after  you  had  been  a  stranger  and  a 
foreigner  for   a  time,   you  were   slowly  and 


CONVERSION — ^PHENOMENA   OR   EXPERIENCE      165 

through  much  doubt  and  misgiving  brought  to 
penitence  and  faith;  or  whether  you  were  sud- 
denly brought  into  the  kingdom. 

Can  each  one  then  tell  whether  he  is  at 
present  in  a  converted  state  or  not?  We  an- 
swer unhesitatingly,  Yes,  to  a  certainty.  The 
inquirer  need  only  look  into  his  heart  and  see 
how  his  sins  affect  him.  Do  his  sins  grieve  him? 
Does  he  hate  them?  Does  he  earnestly  long 
and  strive  to  be  rid  of  them?  Does  he  daily 
turn  to  Jesus  Christ  for  forgiveness  and 
strength?  If  he  can  answer  these  questions  in 
the  affirmative,  he  has  the  elements  and  evi- 
dences of  conversion  and  the  new  life.  Though 
faith  be  weak,  it  is  accepted.  Though  assur- 
ance at  times  be  dim,  the  vision  of  faith  clouded, 
and  faith  itself  almost  unconscious,  it  still 
saves ;  for  it  is  not  the  assurance,  but  the  faith, 
that  justifies. 

But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  his  sins  do  not 
trouble  the  sinner;  if  they  are  as  trifles  to 
him;  if  they  do  not  daily  drive  him  to  the 
Cross,  the  elements  and  evidences  of  the  new 
life  are  certainly  wanting.  Such  a  person  is 
in  an  unconverted  state.  And  let  not  such  an 
one  delude  himself  with  the  false  idea  that 
something,  which  he  called  a  change,  had  taken 
place  at  some  time  in  the  past.  He  can  know 
whether  he  is  now  in  the  faith. 

It  is  poor  theology,  it  is   altogether   anti- 


166  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

scriptural,  for  a  Christian  to  go  through  the 
world  singing  plaintively: 

"  'Tis  a  point  I  long  to  know; 
Oft  it  causes  anxious  thought, 
Do  I  love  the  Lord,  or  no? 
Am  I  His,  or  am  I  not?" 

He  whose  faith,  reaching  up  out  of  a  heart 
that  mourns  over  and  hates  sin,  lays  hold  of 
Christ,  even  tremblingly,  can  say,  "I  knoiv  in 
whom  I  have  believed/'  ''I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth."    He  can  joyfully  sing: 

"I  know  that  my  Redeemer  lives! 
What  comfort  this  sweet  sentence  gives! 
He  lives,  He  lives,  wlio  once  was  dead, 
He  lives,  my  ever-living  Head. 

"He  lives  to  bless  me  with  His  love. 
He  lives  to  plead  for  me  above. 
He  lives  my  hungry  soul  to  feed, 
He  lives  to  help  in  time  of  need. 

"He  lives  to  silence  all  my  fears. 
He  lives  to  wipe  away  my  tears, 
He  lives  to  calm  my  troubled  heart. 
He  lives  all  blessings  to  impart. 

"He  lives,  all  glory  to  His  Name! 
He  lives,  my  Jesus,  still  the  same; 
Oh  the  sweet  joy  this  sentence  gives, 
I  know  that  my  Redeemer  lives!" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

CoNVEKSiON — Human  Agency  In. 

WHAT  part  and  responsibility  pertain  to 
the  human  will  in  this  matter? 

Before  we  leave  the  subject  of  conversion,  it 
is  important  that  we  consider  and  understand 
this  question.  For  on  this  point  also  griev- 
ous and  dangerous  views  and  practices  pre- 
vail. Human  nature  tends  to  extremes.  Here, 
too,  there  is  a  tendency  to  go  too  far, 
either  in  the  one  direction  or  in  the  other. 
There  are  those,  on  the  one  hand,  who  virtually 
and  practically  make  this  change  of  heart  and 
of  nature  a  human  work.  They  practically 
leave  out  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  His 
means  of  Grace.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are 
those  whose  ideas  and  teachings  would  rid  man 
of  all  responsibility  in  the  matter,  and  make 
of  him  a  mere  machine,  that  is  irresistibly 
moved  and  controlled  from  above. 

Is  either  of  these  views  correct  and  scrip- 
tural? If  not,  what  is  the  Bible  doctrine  on 
this  subject?  What  has  the  human  will — 
i.    e.,   the    choosing    and    determining   faculty 

167 


168  THE  WAY  OF  salvatio:n' 

of  the  mind — to  do  with  conversion?  What,  if 
any  part  of  the  work,  is  to  be  ascribed  to  it! 
Is  it  a  factor  in  the  process?  If  so,  in  what 
respect,  and  to  what  extent?  Where  does  its 
activity  begin  or  end  1  In  how  far  is  the  human 
will  responsible  for  the  accomplishment  or  non- 
accomplishment  of  this  change?  These  ques- 
tions we  shall  endeavor  briefly  and  plainly  to 
answer. 

We  must  necessarily  return  to  man  as  he  is 
before  his  conversion,  while  still  in  his  natural, 
sinful,  unrenewed  state.  In  this  state  of  sin, 
the  will  shares,  in  common  with  all  the  other 
parts  of  his  being,  in  the  ruin  and  corruption 
resulting  from  the  fall.  The  natural  man  has 
the  ''understanding  darkened ;"  ''is  alienated 
from  the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance  that 
is  in  him,  because  of  the  blindness  of  his  heart/' 
He  "receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  .  .  .  neither  can  he  hnow  them."  He 
is  "in  darkness,'*  "dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins." 

Thus  is  the  whole  man  in  darkness,  blindness, 
ignorance,  bondage  to  Satan,  and  at  enmity 
with  God.  He  is  in  a  state  of  spiritual  death. 
The  will  is  equally  affected  by  this  total  de- 
pravity. If  the  natural  man  cannot  even  see, 
discern,  or  know  the  things  of  the  Spirit,  how 
much  less  can  he  will  to  do  them ! 

Before  his  conversion,  man  is  utterly  impo- 


CONVEKSION — HUMAN   AGENCY  IN  169 

tent  '^to  ivill  or  to  do"  anything  towards  his 
renewal.  The  strong  words  of  Luther,  as 
quoted  in  the  Formula  of  Concord,  are  strictly 
scriptural:  ''In  spiritual  and  divine  things 
which  pertain  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  man 
is  like  a  pillar  of  salt,  like  Lot's  wife,  yea,  like 
a  log  and  a  stone,  like  a  lifeless  statue,  which 
uses  neither  eyes  nor  mouth,  neither  senses  nor 
heart."  (Matt.  iii.  9.)  But  that  same  God 
who  could,  out  of  the  very  stones,  raise  up 
spiritual  children  to  Abraham,  can  also  change 
the  stony  heart  of  man,  and  put  life  into  those 
who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins. 

The  first  movement,  however,  must  always  be 
from  God  to  the  sinner,  and  not  from  the  sin- 
ner to  God.  God  does,  indeed,  in  His  great 
mercy,  come  first  to  us.  This  He  does  through 
His  own  means  of  Grace. 

In  holy  baptism  He  meets  us  even  on  the 
threshold  of  existence,  takes  us  into  His  loving 
arms,  places  His  hands  in  blessing  upon  our 
heads,  breathes  into  us  a  new  life,  and  adopts 
us  into  His  own  family.  If  the  sinner  after- 
wards fall  from  this  baptismal  Grace,  goes  back 
into  the  ways  of  sin,  and  breaks  his  side  of 
the  covenant,  God  is  still  faithful  and  comes 
to  him  again  by  His  Holy  Spirit  through  His 
Word;  strives  with  him  and  endeavors  to  turn 
or  convert  him  again  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God. 


170  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

We  should  notice  here  a  distinction  between 
those,  who  have  at  some  time  been  under  divine 
influence,  as  by  virtue  of  the  sacramental  Word 
in  baptism,  or  through  the  written  or  preached 
Word,  and  those  who  have  never  been  touched 
by  a  breath  from  above.  When  the  Spirit  of 
God  comes  to  the  former.  He  finds  something 
still  to  appeal  to.  There  is  more  or  less  recep- 
tivity to  receive  the  Grace  of  God,  as  there  is 
more  or  less  life  still  in  the  germ  formerly  im- 
planted. When  He  comes  to  the  latter  class 
there  is  nothing  to  work  on.  The  foundations 
must  be  laid.  A  receptivity  must  be  brought 
about,  a  new  life  must  be  inbreathed.  In  other 
words,  in  the  conversion  of  the  latter  the  Holy 
Spirit  must  do  what  He  has  already  done  in  the 
former.  The  one  is  the  conversion  of  a  once 
regenerate  but  now  lapsed  one.  The  other  is 
the  regeneration  and  conversion  of  one  hereto- 
fore always  dead  in  sin. 

But  in  every  case,  God  comes  first  to  the  sin- 
ner; whether  it  be  in  the  sacramental,  or  the 
written,  or  the  preached,  or  the  pondered  Word. 
It  is  always  through  that  Word,  as  we  have 
already  shown,  that  the  spirit  of  God  operates 
on  the  sinful  heart,  enkindling  penitence  and  be- 
getting faith  in  Christ. 

Now,  what  part  does  the  will  perform  in  this 
great  work?  Is  it  entirely  passive,  merely 
wrought  upon,  as  the  stone  by  the  sculptor? 


CONVEESION — HUMAN   AGENCY  IN  171 

At  first,  the  will  is  doubtless  entirely  passive. 
The  first  movements,  the  first  desires,  the  first 
serious  thoughts,  are  beyond  question  produced 
by  the  Spirit,  through  the  Word.  These  are 
the  advance  signals  and  heralds  of  Grace. 
They  are  the  preparatory  steps,  and  hence 
these  first  approaches  of  divine  influence  are 
called  by  theologians  Prevenient  Grace,  that  is 
the  divine  influence  of  Grace  which  precedes  or 
goes  before  all  other  movements  in  the  return 
of  the  soul  to  God. 

This  preparatory  Grace  sometimes  comes  to 
the  sinner  unsought,  and  is  in  so  far  unavoid- 
able. It  is  purely  and  entirely  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  the  sinner.  The  human  will 
has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  first  be- 
ginnings of  conversion.  Of  this  our  Confes- 
sions testify:  ''God  must  first  come  to  us." 
''Man's  will  hath  no  power  to  work  the  right- 
eousness of  God,  or  a  spiritual  righteousness, 
without  the  spirit  of  God. ' '  Of  this  the  Prophet 
speaks  when  he  says,  Zech.  iv.  6,  ''Not  by  might, 
nor  by  poiver,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord.*' 
Also,  1  Cor.  xii.  3,  ''No  man  can  say  that  Jesus 
is  the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost.'* 

After  prevenient  Grace,  however,  begins  to 
make  itself  felt,  then  the  will  begins  to  take 
part.  It  must  now  assume  an  attitude,  and 
meet  the  question :  Shall  I  yield  to  these  holy 
influences  or  not?     One  or  the  other  of  two 


172  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

courses  must  be  pursued.  There  must  be  a 
yielding  to  the  heavenly  strivings,  or  a  resist- 
ance. To  resist  at  this  point  requires  a  posi- 
tive act  of  the  will.  This  act  man  can  put  forth 
by  his  own  strength.  On  the  other  hand,  with 
the  help  of  that  Grace,  already  at  work  in  his 
heart,  he  can  refuse  to  put  forth  that  act  of  his 
will,  and  thus  remain  non-resistant. 

If  man,  thus  influenced  from  above,  now  de- 
liberately uses  his  will  power,  and  resists  the 
gracious  influences  of  prevenient  Grace,  he 
quenches  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  he  is 
sealed  to  the  day  of  redemption.  He  has 
hardened  his  heart.  His  last  state  is  worse 
than  the  first.  He  remains  unconverted,  and 
on  himself  alone  is  the  responsibility. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  even  with  the  assist- 
ance of  prevenient  Grace,  permits  it  to  do  its 
work,  the  process  goes  on.  His  will  is  being 
renewed.  It  experiences  the  pulsations  of  a 
new  life.  It  realizes  the  possession  of  new 
powers.  There  is  an  infusion  from  God's  will 
into  his  will,  and  now  prevenient  Grace  is 
changed  into  operating  Grace.  The  "Word  has 
free  course.  It  runs  and  is  glorified.  He 
^^ works  out  his  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling,"  while  it  is  all  the  time  ''God  that 
worheth  in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  His 
good  pleasure." 

Such  a  person  is  a  new  creature  in  Christ 


CONVERSION HUMAN   AGENCY   IN  173 

Jesus,  operative  Grace  goes  out  into  co-oper- 
ating Grace.  He  becomes  a  worker  with  God, 
and  as  he  grows  in  Grace  and  in  knowledge, 
his  will  becomes  more  and  more  free  as  it  comes 
more  and  more  into  harmony  with  God's  will. 

Again  we  ask.  What  has  the  human  will  to 
do  with  this  great  change?  We  answer,  Two 
things. 

First,  man  can  will  to  go  to  church  where  the 
means  of  Grace  are,  or  he  can  will  to  remain 
away.  If  he  deliberately  wills  to  absent  him- 
self from  where  their  influence  is  exerted,  he 
remains  unconverted,  and  on  himself  is  the  re- 
sponsibility. If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  wills  to 
go  where  God  speaks  to  man  in  His  ordinary 
way,  he  does  so  much  towards  permitting  God 
to  convert  him. 

Secondly,  when  the  means  of  Grace  do  carry 
renewing  power,  and  he  is  made  to  realize  their 
efficacy — though  it  be  at  first  only  in  an  uneasi- 
ness, dissatisfaction  with  self,  and  an  undefined 
longing  after  something  better — he  can,  as  we 
have  seen,  permit  the  work  to  go  on.  Thus  he 
may  be  said,  negatively,  to  help  towards  his 
conversion.  On  the  other  hand,  he  can  shake 
off  the  good  impressions,  tear  away  from  the 
holy  influences,  resist  the  Spirit,  and  remain 
unconverted.  Clearly,  07i  himself  is  all  the  re- 
sponsibility if  he  perish.    God  desired  to  con- 


174  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

vert  him.  He  '^  rejected  the  counsel  of  God 
against  himself."    Luke  vii.  30. 

And  thus  our  Lutheran  doctrine  of  Grace 
through  the  means  of  Grace,  clears  away  all 
difficulties  and  avoids  all  contradictions.  It 
gives  God  all  the  glory  and  throws  on  man  all 
the  responsibility. 

Sailing  thus  under  the  colors  of  scriptural 
doctrine,  we  steer  clear  of  the  Scylla  of  Calvin- 
ism on  the  one  hand,  and  also  escape  the 
Charybdis  of  Arminianism  on  the  other. 

We  give  to  Sovereign  Grace  all  the  glory  of 
our  salvation  just  as  much  as  the  Calvinists 
do.  And  yet  we  make  salvation  as  free  as  the 
boldest  Arminian  does.  Whatever  is  excellent 
in  both  systems  we  retain.  Whatever  is  false 
in  both  we  reject.  We  refuse  to  make  of  man 
a  machine,  who  is  irresistibly  brought  into  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  forced  indeed  to  accept 
of  Sovereign  Grace.  On  the  other  hand,  we 
utterly  repudiate  the  idea  that  man  is  himself 
able  to  ''get  religion,**  to  "get  through,"  to 
''grasp  the  blessing,"  or  to  "save  himself." 
To  such  self -exaltation  we  give  no  place — ^no, 
not  for  a  moment! 

With  Luther  we  confess,  "I  believe  that  I 
cannot,  by  my  own  reason  or  strength,  believe 
in  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord,  or  come  to  Him.  But 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  called  me  by  His 
Gospel,  enlightened  me  by  His  gifts,  and  sane- 


CONVERSION— HUMAN  AGENCY  IN  175 

tified  and  preserved  me  in  the  true  faith;  in 
like  manner  as  He  calls,  gathers,  enlightens, 
and  sanctifies  the  whole  Christian  Church  on 
earth,  and  preserves  it  in  union  with  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  true  faith.  In  which  Christian 
Church  He  daily  forgives  me  abundantly  all 
my  sins  and  the  sins  of  all  believers,  and  will 
raise  up  me  and  all  the  dead  at  the  last  day, 
and  will  grant  everlasting  life  to  me  and  to  all 
who  believe  in  Christ.  This  is  most  certainly 
true. ' ' 

"Grace  first  contrived  the  way 

To  save   rebellious  man; 
And  all  the  steps  that  Grace  display 
Which  drew  the  wondrous  plan. 

"Grace  taught  my  roving  feet 
To  tread  the  heavenly  road; 
And  new  supplies   each   hour  I   meet. 
While  pressing  on  to  God. 

"Grace  all  the  work  shall  crown 
Through  everlasting  days; 
It  lays  in  heaven  the  topmost  stone, 
And  well  deserves  the  praise." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Justification. 

AMONG  all  the  doctrines  of  our  holy  Chris- 
tian faith,  the  doctrine  of  Justification  by 
Faith  alone,  stands  most  prominent.  Luther 
calls  it:  *'The  doctrine  of  a  standing  or  of  a 
falling  church,"  i.  e.,  as  a  church  holds  fast 
and  appropriates  this  doctrine  she  remains 
pure  and  firm,  and  as  she  departs  from  it,  she 
becomes  corrupt  and  falls.  This  doctrine  was 
the  turning  point  of  the  Reformation  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  It  was  the  experience  of 
its  necessity  and  efficacy  that  made  Luther 
what  he  was,  and  equipped  him  for  a  Re- 
former. Naturally,  therefore,  it  occupies  the 
chief  place  in  all  our  Confessions,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  all  the  history  of  our  Church. 

In  these  chapters  on  the  ''Way  of  Salva- 
tion," it  has  been  implied  throughout.  There  is 
indeed  no  doctrine  of  salvation  that  is  not  more 
or  less  connected  with  or  dependent  on  this  one. 

Some  time  ago  we  noticed  the  statement  of  a 
certain  bishop  in  a  large  Protestant  Church, 
declaring  that ' '  not  Justification,  but  the  Divin- 

176 


JUSTIFICATION  177 

ity  of  Christ,  is  the  great  fundamental  doctrine 
that  conditions  the  standing  or  falling  of  a 
church."  At  first  sight  this  seems  plausible. 
But  when  we  come  to  reflect,  we  cannot  but  see 
that  the  true  doctrine  concerning  the  Person 
of  Christ  is  not  only  implied,  but  embraced  in 
the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith.  A  man 
migljt  be  sound  on  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  and 
yet  not  know  aright  the  Way  of  Salvation.  But 
a  man  cannot  be  sound  on  Justification  without 
being  sound,  not  only  on  the  Person  of  Christ, 
but  also  on  His  work  and  the  Way  of  Salvation 
through  Him. 

So  much  has  been  written  and  preached  in 
our  Church  on  this  subject,  that  it  is  not  neces- 
sary for  us  to  enter  upon  a  full  discussion  here. 
We  will  endeavor,  therefore,  merely  in  outline, 
to  call  attention  to  a  few  of  its  most  prominent 
and  practical  features. 

We  inquire  briefly  into  its  meaning  and 
nature.  Justification  is  an  act  of  God,  by  which 
He  accounts  or  adjudges  a  person  righteous  in 
His  sight.  It  is  not  a  change  in  the  person's 
nature,  but  it  is  a  change  in  his  standing  in  the 
sight  of  God.  Before  justification  he  stands  in 
the  sight  of  God,  guilty  and  condemned. 
Through  justification,  he  stands  before  God 
free  from  guilt  and  condemnation;  he  is  ac- 
quitted, released,  regarded  and  treated  as  if 
he  had  never  been  guilty  or  condemned.    The 


178  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

justified  person  stands  in  the  sight  of  God,  as 
if  he  really  had  never  committed  a  sin  and  were 
perfectly  innocent.  Thus  it  is  clear  that  justifi- 
cation treats  of  and  has  regard  to  the  sinner's 
relation  to  God.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  his 
change  of  nature.  It  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance that  this  be  kept  constantly  in  mind.  It 
is  by  applying  justification  to  the  change  in  the 
sinner's  nature  that  so  many  become  confused, 
and  fall  into  grievous  and  dangerous  errors. 

The  original  source,  or  moving  cause  of 
justification,  is  God's  love.  Had  God  not 
"loved  the  world'*  there  would  have  been  no 
divine  planning  or  counseling  for  man 's  justifi- 
cation. Truly  it  required  a  divine  mind  to 
originate  a  scheme  by  which  God  "coidd  he  just 
and  yet  justify  the  ungodly."  All  the  wisdom 
of  the  world  could  never  have  answered  the 
question:  "Hoiv  can  mortal  man  he  just  with 
God?" 

Man  stood,  in  the  sight  of  God  as  a  rebel 
against  His  divine  authority,  a  transgressor  of 
divine  law,  guilty,  condemned  and  wholly  un- 
able to  justify  himself,  or  to  answer  for  one  in 
a  thousand  oifences.  God  had  given  His  word 
that,  because  of  guilt,  there  must  be  punish- 
ment and  suffering.  This  word  was  given  be- 
fore sin  was  committed,  and  was  repeated  a 
thousand  times  afterwards.  There  must  then 
be  obedience  to  an  infinite  law,  or  infinite  pun- 


JUSTIFICATION  179 

ishment  for  transgression.    How  could  this  gulf 
be  bridged,  and  man  saved? 

There  was  only  one  way.  ''God  so  loved  the 
world  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son." 
That  Son,  ''the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory 
and  the  express  image  of  His  person,"  "in 
whom  dwelt  all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily,"  came  into  our  world.  He  came  to  take 
the  sinner's  place— to  be  his  substitute. 
Though  Lord  and  giver  of  the  law,  He  put  Him- 
self under  the  law.  He  fulfilled  it  in  every  jot 
and  tittle.  He  did  no  sin,  neither  ivas  guile 
found  in  his  mouth.  Thus  He  worked  out  a 
complete  and  perfect  righteousness.  He  did 
not  need  this  righteousness  for  Himself,  for 
He  had  a  righteousness  far  above  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  letter  of  law.  He  wrought  it  out  not 
for  Himself,  but  for  man,  that  He  might  make  it 
over  and  impute  it  to  the  transgressor.  Thus 
then  while  man  had  no  obedience  of  his  own, 
he  could  have  the  obedience  of  another  set  down 
to  his  account,  as  though  it  were  his  own. 

But  this  was  not  enough.  Man  had  sinned 
and  was  still  constantly  sinning,  his  very  nature 
being  a  sinful  one.  As  already  noted,  the  divine 
Word  was  pledged  that  there  must  be  punish- 
ment for  sin.  The  Son,  who  came  to  be  a 
substitute,  said:  Put  me  in  the  sinner's  place; 
let  me  be  the  guilty  one ;  let  the  blows  fall  upon 
me.   And  thus.  He  "ivho  knew  no  sin  was  made 


180  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

sin  (or  a  sin-offering)  for  us."  He  "was  made 
a  curse,"  "bore  our  sins,"  and  "the  iniquity 
of  us  all."  He,  the  God-man,  was  regarded  as 
the  guilty  one,  treated  as  the  guilty  one,  suf- 
fered as  the  guilty  one. 

He  suffered  as  God,  as  well  as  man.  For  the 
Divine  and  human  were  inseparably  united  in 
one  person.  Divinity  by  itself  cannot  suffer 
and  die.  But  thus  mysteriously  connected  with 
the  humanity  it  could  and  really  did  participate 
in  the  suffering  and  dying.  God  suffered 
through  His  human  nature.  And  so  God  really 
suffered. 

As  Luther  sang 

"O  Grosse  noth! 
Gott  selbst  ist  tot!" 

Oh  awful  dread! 
God's  self  is  dead! 

And  who  will  calculate  what  Immanuel  can 
suffer?  What  must  that  suffering  have  been 
when  it  crushed  Him  to  earth,  made  Him  cry 
out  so  plaintively,  and  at  last  took  His  life! 
Our  old  theologians  loved  to  say,  that  what 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  lacked  in  extensiveness 
or  duration,  they  made  up  in  intensiveness. 
Thus  there  was  a  perfect  atonement.  All 
the  punishment  had  been  endured.  A  perfect 
righteousness  had  been  wrought  out,  and  the 
Father  set  His  seal  to  it  in  the  resurrection 


JUSTIFICATION"  181 

and  ascension  of  His  dear  Son.  Here,  then, 
was  real  substitution,  and  this  is  the  ground 
for  our  justification. 

It  has  been  asked,  on  this  point,  if  Christ  by 
His  perfect  life  wrought  out  a  complete  right- 
eousness, which  He  needed  not  for  Himself, 
but  intended  for  the  sinner,  why  was  not  this 
sufficient?  Why  was  His  death  necessary?  On 
the  other  hand,  if  His  death  is  a  perfect  atone- 
ment for  all  sin,  why  does  the  sinner,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  full  and  free  forgiveness,  procured  by 
the  death  of  Christ,  need  also  the  application 
of  the  righteousness  of  the  life  of  Christ?  In 
a  word,  why  are  both  the  life  and  death  neces- 
sary to  justify  the  sinner? 

We  answer:  By  His  death  or  suffering 
obedience  He  wrought  out  a  negative  right- 
eousness, the  forgiveness  of  sins.  By  His  life, 
or  active  obedience.  He  wrought  out  a  positive 
righteousness.  The  former  releases  from  pun- 
ishment. The  latter  confers  character,  stand- 
ing and  honor  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

To  illustrate.  Two  persons  have  broken  the 
laws  of  their  land,  are  guilty,  condemned,  and 
suffer  the  penalty  in  prison.  To  one  comes  a 
message  of  pardon  from  the  king.  The  prison 
doors  are  opened  and  he  goes  forth  a  free 
man.  The  law  cannot  again  seize  him  and  con- 
demn him  for  the  crimes  of  which  he  is  par- 
doned.   But  as  he  goes  forth  among  his  fellow- 


182  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

men  he  realizes  that  though  released  from  pun- 
ishment, and  negatively  righteous,  he  has  no 
standing,  no  character,  no  positive  righteous- 
ness, unless  he  earn  and  merit  it  for  himself. 

To  the  other  criminal  also  comes  a  message 
of  pardon  from  his  king.  In  addition  to  par- 
don, or  release  from  punishment,  he  is  assured 
that  his  king  has  adopted  him  as  his  son,  will 
take  him  into  his  family  and  endow  him  with 
his  name  and  all  the  privileges  of  his  house. 

Now  this  pardoned  one  has  a  double  right- 
eousness. Negatively,  pardon  and  release  from 
punishment ;  positively,  a  name,  standing,  char- 
acter, honor,  and  the  richest  endowments  of  the 
kingdom. 

Even  thus  has  the  Son  of  God  wrought  out 
for  us  a  two-fold  righteousness,  viz.:  Nega- 
tively, by  His  sufferings  and  death  He  pur- 
chased for  the  believer  the  forgiveness  of  sin 
and  release  from  punishment;  and  positively, 
by  His  life  of  obedience  He  secured  and  im- 
parts to  the  sinner  a  perfect  righteousness,  a 
name  and  a  place  in  His  kingdom,  with  all  its 
honors  and  blessings. 

In  the  procuring  of  this  double  righteousness, 
Christ  wrought  out  first  the  positive  and  then 
the  negative.  In  the  conferring  of  it  He  gives 
first  the  negative  and  then  the  positive. 

And  therefore  the  two-fold  message  of  con- 
solation.   Is.  xl.  1,  2:    "Comjort  ye,  comfort  ye 


JUSTIFICATION 


183 


my  people,  saith  your  God.  Speak  ye  comfort- 
ably to — {i.  e.,  speak  ye  to  the  heart  of) — Jeru- 
salem, and  cry  unto  her  that  her  warfare  is  ac- 
complished, that  her  iniquity  is  pardoned;  for 
she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for 
all  her  sins." 

This  justification  has  been  purchased  and 
paid  for.  But  it  is  not  yet  applied.  The  sinner 
has  not  yet  appropriated  it  and  made  it  his  own. 
How  is  this  to  be  done  ?  We  answer :  By  faith. 
Faith  is  the  eye  that  looks  to  Christ.  It  sees 
His  perfect  atonement  and  His  spotless  right- 
eousness. It  is,  at  the  same  time,  the  hand  that 
reaches  out,  lays  hold  of  Christ,  and  clings  to 
Him  as  the  only  help  and  the  only  hope.  This 
faith,  springing  from  a  penitent  heart,  that 
realizes  its  own  unworthiness  and  guiltiness, 
renouncing  all  claim  to  merit  or  self -righteous- 
ness, casts  itself  on  the  divine  Saviour,  trusts 
implicitly  in  Him,  and  rests  there.  This  faith 
justifies.  Not  because  it  is  an  act  that  merits 
or  earns  justification.  No!  In  no  sense. 
Christ  has  earned  it.  Faith  only  lays  hold  of 
and  appropriates  Christ  and  what  He  pur- 
chased and  paid  for. 

There  certainly  can  be  no  merit  in  our  faith, 
because  it  is  itself  a  ''gift  of  God,"  as  the 
Scriptures  declare.  He  that  has  the  faith  is 
justified,  acquitted,  forgiven.    The  appropria- 


184  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

tion  or  application,  is  when  we  believe  with  all 
the  heart  on  the  Son  of  God. 

This  faith  is  not  a  mere  historical  or  intel- 
lectual belief.  It  is  a  living  thing.  Yet  it  is  not 
its  livingness  that  justifies.  The  justifying  ele- 
ment is  that  it  grasps  and  holds  Christ.  Christ 
really  justifies.  Faith  justifies  in  so  far  as  it 
grasps,  holds,  rests  in  and  trust  in  Christ  alone. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of 
** Justification  by  Faith."  We  have  not  thought 
it  necessary  to  quote  from  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession or  the  Formula  of  Concord  for  proof. 
Neither  is  it  necessary  or  desirable  that  we 
lengthen  out  this  chapter  with  quotations  from 
standard  theologians.  Any  one  desiring  fur- 
ther proof  or  amplification  can  find  abundance 
of  it  in  all  our  Confessions,  and  in  all  recog- 
nized writers  in  the  Church.  Nor  have  we 
taken  up  the  space  with  Scripture  quotations. 
To  quote  all  that  the  Bible  says  on  the  subject 
would  be  to  transcribe  a  large  proportion  of 
its  passages.  It  would  necessitate  especially  a 
writing  out  of  a  large  part  of  the  writings  of 
Paul,  who  makes  it  the  great  theme  of  several 
of  his  epistles.  Every  devout  reader  of  Paul's 
letters  will  find  this  great  doctrine  shining  forth 
in  almost  every  chapter,  so  much  so  that  the 
Eomish  Bishop  who  was  driven  by  Luther  to  a 
study  of  the  New  Testament  threw  down  his 


JUSTIFICATION  185 

book  and  said:  ''Paul  also  has  become  a  Lu- 
theran!" 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  impress  one 
thoTiglit.  The  doctrine  of  Justification  is  so 
highly  prized  by  the  believer,  not  so  much  be- 
cause of  the  grand  and  matchless  scheme  it 
brings  to  light,  as  because  of  the  peace  and  com- 
fort it  has  brought  into  his  heart.  He  who 
truly  embraces  this  doctrine,  realizes  its  efficacy 
and  power.  It  is  precious  to  him,  above  all 
things,  as  a  matter  of  personal  experience. 
This  experience  is  not  the  doctrine,  but  the 
result  of  receiving  the  doctrine.  He  has  real- 
ized the  blessedness  of  having  his  own  sins 
forgiven,  his  transgressions  covered.  Being 
justified  hy  faith,  he  has  peace  with  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

This  blessed  experience  was  the  root  and 
spring  of  Luther's  courage  and  strength. 
Luther's  inner  experience  fitted  him  to  become 
the  Eeformer.  Without  it  all  his  other  gifts 
and  qualifications  would  not  have  availed.  Let 
Sunday  School  teachers,  church-workers  and 
ministers  examine  themselves.  Without  this 
heart-experience,  all  theorizing  about  the 
doctrine  is  vain.  Such  a  scriptural  experience 
never  develops  a  Pharisee.  It  never  runs 
into  self-exhaltation.  It  constantly  exalts 
and  magnifies  Christ.  It  habitually  humbles 
self.    It  lays  self  low  at  the  foot  of  the  cross, 


186  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

and  it  remains  there.  Not  that  it  is  a  gloomy 
or  despondent  spirit.  For  while  it  constantly 
mourns  over  the  imperfections  and  sins  of  self, 
it,  at  the  same  time,  constantly  rejoices  in  the 
full  and  perfect  salvation  of  Christ.  While  it 
never  ceases  in  this  life  to  shed  the  tears  of 
penitence,  it  also  never  ceases  to  sing  the  joyful 
song  of  deliverance.  It  develops  a  Christian 
after  the  type  of  a  Paul,  a  Luther,  a  Gerhard 
and  a  Francke.  Blessed  is  he  who  understands 
and  experiences  justification  by  faith.  Doubly 
sad  the  state  of  him  who  has  the  doctrine,  with- 
out its  experience  and  peace  and  glory. 

"Jesus,  Thy  Blood  and  Righteousness 
My  beauty  are,  my  glorious  dress; 
Midst  flaming  worlds,  in  these  arrayed, 
With  joy  shall  I  lift  up  my  head, 

"Bold  shall  I  stand  in  that  great  day. 
For  who  aught  to  my  charge  shall  lay? 
Fully  through  these  absolved  I  am 
From  sin  and  fear,  from  guilt  and  shame. 

"This  spotless  robe  the  same  appears. 
When  ruined  nature  sinks  in  years: 
No  age  can  change  its  constant  hue; 
Thy  Blood  preserves  it  ever  new. 

"Oh  let  the  dead  now  hear  Thy  voice; 
Now  bid  Thy  banished  ones  rejoice! 
Their  beauty  this,  their  glorious  dress, 
Jesus,  Thy  Blood  and  Righteousness." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Sanctification. 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  showed  that  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  deals  with  the  sinner's 
change  of  relation,  or  change  of  state. 

We  also  learned  that  faith  is  the  instru- 
mental or  applying  cause  of  justification.  In 
another  place  we  showed  that  true  faith  pre- 
supposes penitence,  and  this  again  presupposes 
a  sense  and  knowledge  of  sin.  Again  we 
showed  that  penitence  and  faith  are  the  two 
essential  elements  of  conversion;  that  where 
these  elements  are  found  there  is  a  change  of 
heart,  and  the  beginning  of  a  new  life.  This 
new  life  is,  however,  only  in  its  germ.  These 
new  actions.  A  new  light  has  come  into  the 
intellect;  a  new  love  into  the  heart  and  a  new 
bent  into  the  will,  and  so  a  new  creature  with 
a  new  life. 

This  newness  is  of  a  germinal  or  seed  char- 
acter. Now  it  belongs  to  the  very  nature  of  life 
to  develop,  to  increase,  and  to  make  progress. 
And  it  is  this  development  or  growth  of  the 
new  life  that  we  wish  now  to  consider.    It  is 

187 


188  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

called  sanctification,  or  the  growth  of  the  soul 
into  the  image  of  a  holy  God. 

It  is  closely  related  to  justification,  and  yet 
clearly  distinct  from  it.  In  justification,  God 
imputes  or  counts  over  to  the  sinner  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ.  In  sanctification,  God 
imparts  the  righteousness  of  the  new  life. 
Justification  is  what  God  does  for  the  believer ; 
sanctification  is  what  His  Spirit  does  in  him. 
Justification  being  purely  an  act  of  God,  is  in- 
stantaneous and  complete;  sanctification  being 
a  work  in  which  man  has  a  share,  is  progres- 
sive. Justification  takes  away  the  guilt  of  sin ; 
sanctification  gradually  takes  away  its  power. 
Sanctification  begins  with  justification.  So 
soon  as  the  sinner  believes  he  is  justified;  but 
just  so  soon  as  he  believes,  he  also  has  the 
beginnings  of  a  new  life. 

In  time,  therefore,  the  two  come  together; 
but  in  thought  they  are  distinct.  And  it  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  that  these  distinctions 
be  understood  and  kept  in  mind.  It  is  by  con- 
founding justification  with  sanctification,  and 
vice  versa,  that  all  the  flagrant,  soul-endanger- 
ing errors  concerning  the  so-called  *' higher 
life,"  ''sinless  perfection,"  and  ''holiness,"  are 
promulgated  and  believed.  It  is  by  quoting 
Scripture  passages  that  speak  of  justification 
and  applying  them  to  sanctification,  that  this 
delusion  is  strengthened.    How  often  have  we 


SANCTIFICATION-  189 

not  heard  that  precious  passage,  1  John  i.  7, 
*'The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth 
us  from  all  sin,"  quoted  to  prove  entire  sancti- 
fication.  Now,  if  we  understand  the  Scriptures 
at  all,  that  passage  speaks  of  the  forgiveness  of 
sin  through  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood,  and 
not  of  overcoming  sin  in  the  believer,  or  eradi- 
cating its  very  fibres  and  impulses. 

Let  us  understand  clearly  what  we  mean  by 
sanctification.  The  English  word  comes  from 
a  Latin  word  that  means  sacred,  consecrated, 
devoted  to  holy  purposes.  The  Greek  word 
translated  sanctify  in  our  English  Bible  also 
means  to  separate  from  common  and  set  apart 
for  holy  purposes.  The  same  word  that  is 
translated  sanctify,  is  in  many  places  trans- 
lated consecrate,  or  make  holy.  The  English 
word  saint  comes  from  the  same  Latin  root, 
and  is  translated  from  the  same  Greek  root,  as 
sanctify.  A  saint  means  a  sanctified  one,  or 
one  who  is  being  sanctified.  Thus  we  find  be- 
lievers called  saints  or  sanctified  ones.  We 
find,  indeed,  that  the  apostles  call  all  the  mem- 
bers of  their  churches  saints.  Thus  they  speak 
of  "the  saints  which  are  at  Jerusalem,"  "The 
saints  which  are  at  Achaia,*'  "To  all  that  he 
in  Rome  .  .  .  called  to  he  saints,"  "As  in 
all  the  churches  of  the  saints."  So  in  many 
other  passages. 

In  harmony  with  the  apostolic  usage,  we  con- 


190  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

fess  in  the  Apostles'  Creed:  "I  believe  in  the 
Holy  Christian  Church  (which  is)  the  com- 
munion— or  community — of  saints."  If  then 
saints  means  sanctified  ones,  or  holy  persons, 
do  not  the  Bible  and  the  Apostles'  Creed  de- 
mand perfect  sinlessness?  By  no  means. 
Christians  are  indeed  to  strive  to  constantly 
become  more  and  more  free  from  sin.  They 
are  "called  to  he  saints,"  are  constantly  being 
sanctified  or  made  holy.  But  their  sanctity  or 
holiness  is  only  relative. 

They  have  indeed  "come  out  from  the 
world/'  to  "be  separate."  They  are  "a  pecu- 
liar people."  They  hate  sin,  repent  of  it,  flee 
from  it,  strive  against  it,  and  overcome  it  more 
and  more.  They  "mortify  the  deeds  of  the 
body,"  "keep  it  under,"  "crucify  the  flesh 
with  its  affections  and  lusts,"  "present — (or 
consecrate) — their  bodies,  as  living  sacrifices 
to  God."  They  have  pledged  themselves  at 
Christ's  altar  to  "renounce  the  devil  and  all 
his  works  and  ways,  the  vanities  of  the  world 
and  the  sinful  desires  of  the  flesh,  and  to  live 
up  to  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  Christ." 

In  so  far,  they  are  separated  from  the  world, 
set  apart  to  become  holy,  consecrated  to  Christ. 
Not  that  their  sanctification  or  saintship  is 
complete.  If  that  were  the  case,  the  apostles 
would  not  have  written  epistles  to  the  saints. 
For  perfect  beings  need  no  Bibles,  no  Churches, 


SANCTIFICATION  191 

no  means  of  Grace.  The  angels  need  none  of 
these  things.  There  is  indeed  not  one  sinless 
person  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  except  that 
divine  One,  ''who  did  no  sin,  neither  ivas  guile 
found  in  His  mouth.'* 

If  there  were  one  Scripture  character  who, 
if  such  a  thing  were  possible,  would  have  at- 
tained to  sinless  perfection,  that  one  would  cer- 
tainly have  been  the  greatest  of  all  the  apostles. 
He  labored  more  than  they  all;  he  suffered 
more  than  they  all;  he  went  deeper  into  the 
mysteries  of  redemption  than  they  all.  He 
was  not  only  permitted  to  look  into  heaven,  as 
the  beloved  John,  but  he  "was  caught  tip  into 
the  third  heaven,  and  heard  tuords  that  it  was 
not  lawful  for  him  to  utter"  on  this  sinful 
earth.  Oh,  what  purifying  through  suffering! 
What  visions  and  revelations!  What  experi- 
ence of  Grace !  And  yet  this  burnished  vessel 
never  professed  sinless  perfection.  Indeed,  he 
never  ceased  to  mourn  and  lament  the  sinful- 
ness and  imperfection  of  his  own  heart,  and 
called  himself  the  chief  of  sinners.  He  does 
indeed  speak  of  perfection.  Hear  what  he  savs, 
Phil.  iii.  12,  13,  14:  "Not  as  though  I  had  al- 
ready attained,  either  were  already  perfect; 
hut  I  folloiv  after,  if  that  I  may  apprehend  that 
for  which  also  I  am  apprehended  of  Christ 
Jesus.  Brethren,  I  count  not  myself  to  have 
apprehended;  hut  this  one  thing  I  do,  forget- 


192  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

ting  those  things  that  are  behind,  and  reaching 
forward  unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I 
press  toivard  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  saints  on  earth,  then,  are  not  sinless 
ones.  The  Bible  does  indeed  speak  of  those 
born  of  God  sinning  not,  not  committing  sin. 
But  this  can  only  mean  that  they  do  not  ivilfully 
sin.  They  do  not  intentionally  live  in  habits 
of  sin.  Their  sins  are  sins  of  weakness  and  not 
sins  of  malice.  They  repent  of  them,  mourn 
over  them,  and  strive  against  them.  They 
constantly  pray,  '' Forgive  us  our  trespasses 
as  tve  forgive  them  that  trespass  against  us/' 
Their  heart-purity  and  sanctification  are  only 
relative. 

Sanctification  is  gradual  and  progressive. 
We  have  seen  that  Paul  thus  expressed  him- 
self. He  was  constantly  '' following  after/* 
^'reaching  forth/'  ^^ pressing  toward"  the 
mark.  He  exhorts  the  Corinthians,  2  Cor.  vii. 
1,  to  be  ''perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord/'  and  again,  2  Cor.  iii.  18,  to  be  ''changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory."  He 
tells  them  in  chapter  iv.  16  that  "the  inward 
man  is  renewed  day  by  day."  He  exhorts  the 
saints  or  believers,  again  and  again,  "to 
grow/'  "to  increase/'  "to  abound  yet  more 
and  more." 

Growth  is  the  law  of  the  kingdom  of  nature. 


SANCTIPICATION  193 

And  the  same  God  operates  in  the  kingdom  of 
Grace,  and,  indeed,  much  after  the  same  order. 
Our  Saviour,  therefore,  so  often  compares  the 
kingdom  of  God,  or  the  kingdom  of  Grace,  to 
growth  from  a  seed,  where  it  is  ''first  the  blade, 
then  the  ear,  and  then  the  fidl  corn  in  the  ear,'* 
Mark  iv.  26-29.  In  harmony  with  all  this  Paul 
calls  those  who  have  but  lately  become  be- 
lievers, "babes  in  Christ/'  He  tells  them  they 
must  be  "fed  with  milk  as  babes/'  etc.  There- 
fore, it  is  quite  natural  that  we  find  so  many 
exhortations  to  grow  in  Grace  and  in  knowl- 
edge. 

How  directly  contrary  to  all  this  is  the  un- 
scriptural  idea,  not  only  of  entire  sanctifica- 
tion,  but  of  instantaneous  sanctification. 
Surely,  in  this  fast  age,  many  have  run  far 
ahead  of  prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  re- 
formers and  the  most  eminent  saints  of  all 
ages.  As  we  read  the  lives  and  words  of  these 
heroes  of  faith,  we  find  that  the  more  Christ- 
like and  consecrated  they  were,  the  more  did 
they  deplore  their  slow  progress  and  their  re- 
maining sin. 

While,  therefore,  we  have  no  Scripture  war- 
rant to  expect  sinlessness  here ;  while  we  must 
"die  daily,"  "mortify  our  members,"  and 
"fight  the  good  fight  of  faith,"  between  the  old 
Adam,  whose  remnants  cleave  to  us,  and  the 
new  man  in  Christ  Jesus,  we  can  still  do  much 


194  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

to  promote  our  sanctification,  and  make  it 
more  and  more  complete.  We  can  use  the 
powers  that  God  has  given  ns  to  carry  on  the 
warfare  with  sin.  We  can  increase  these 
powers,  or  rather  permit  divine  Grace  to  in- 
crease them,  by  a  diligent  use  of  the  means  of 
Grace.  In  the  chapter  on  the  Word  of  God  as 
a  means  of  Grace,  we  showed  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  sanctifies  through  the  Word.  In  the 
chapters  on  baptism  and  the  baptismal  cove- 
nant, we  showed  how  that  holy  sacrament  is  a 
means  of  Grace,  whose  efficacy  is  not  confined 
to  the  time  of  its  administration,  but  that  it  is 
intended  to  be  a  perennial  fountain  of  Grace, 
from  which  we  can  drink  and  be  refreshed  while 
life  lasts.  That  for  our  daily  life  it  means  * '  that 
the  old  Adam  in  us  is  to  be  drowned  and  des- 
troyed by  daily  sorrow  and  repentance  together 
with  all  sins  and  evil  lusts  and  that  the  new 
man  should  daily  come  forth  and  rise  and  shall 
live  in  the  presence  of  God  in  righteousness  and 
purity  forever. ' '  In  the  chapters  on  the  Lord 's 
Supper,  we  learned  that  it  also  was  ordained 
and  instituted  to  sustain  and  strengthen  our 
spiritual  life. 

We  have,  therefore,  all  the  means  necessary 
for  our  sanctification.  De  we  prayerfully  use 
them?  Might  we  not  be  much  further  on  in 
the  work  of  holiness  than  we  are?  Do  we 
use  the  truth  as  we  should,  that  we  may  be 


SANCTIFICATION"  195 

"sanctified  through  the  truth  f  Do  we  ''de- 
sire the  sincere  milk  of  the  Word,  that  we  may 
grow  thereby?"  Does  it  "dwell  richly  among 
usf"  Know  we  not,  or  have  we  forgotten  it, 
that  "as  many  of  us  as  have  been  baptized 
into  Christ,  were  baptized  into  His  death?" 
Do  we  say,  with  those  early  Christians, 
"henceforth  let  no  man  trouble  me,  for  I  bear 
in  my  body  the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus?" 
And  when  we  go  to  our  Lord's  Table  do  we 
realize  that  His  "flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and 
His  blood  is  drink  indeed?"  Do  we  go  in  the 
strength  of  that  heavenly  nourishment  many 
days?  Might  we  not,  by  making  a  more  sin- 
cere, hearty  and  diligent  use  of  all  these 
means  of  Grace,  live  nearer  to  Christ,  lean 
more  confidingly  on  Him  and  do  more  effec- 
tually all  things  through  Him  who  strengthen- 
eth  us?* 

Yes,  doubtless,  we  must  all  confess  that  it 
is  our  own  fault  that  we  are  not  sanctified 
more  fully  than  we  are ;  that  if,  in  the  strength 
derived  from  a  proper  use  of  the  means  of 
Grace,  we  would  watch  more  over  self,  pray 
more,   meditate   more   on   divine   things   and 

*  It  ought  to  go  without  saying  that  a  sanctified  life 
must  be  a  life  of  service.  Every  believer  is  sanctified  that 
he  may  serve,  even  as  he  has  been  redeemed  that  he  might 
serve.  Read  carefully  on  this  whole  subject  of  sanctified 
service  Problems  and  Possibilities,  Chapter  vi. 


196  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

thus  surround  ourselves  more  with  a  spiritual 
atmosphere,  we  should  be  more  spiritual. 
''This  is  the  will  of  God,  even  your  sanctifica- 
tion.'*  ''Without  holiness,  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord." 

"And  what  am  I?    My  soul,  awake, 
And  an  impartial  survey  take. 
Does  no  dark  sign,  no  ground  of  fear 
In  practice  or  in  heart  appear? 

"What  image  does  my  spirit  bear? 
Is  Jesus  formed  and  living  there? 
Ah,  do  His  lineaments  divine 
In  thought  and  word  and  action  shine? 

"Searcher  of  hearts,  O  search  me  still. 
The  secrets  of  my  soul  reveal; 
My  fears  remove;  let  me  appear 
To  God  and  my  own  conscience  clear." 


CHAPTER  XXni. 
Revivals. 

WE  might  have  closed  our  studies  of  the 
Way  of  Salvation  with  Sanctification, 
without  giving  any  attention  to  the  subject 
of  Revivals.  We  remember,  however,  that, 
in  the  estimation  of  many,  revivals  are  the 
most  essential  part  of  the  Way;  so  much  so 
that,  in  certain  quarters,  few,  if  any,  souls 
are  expected  to  be  brought  into  the  way  of 
life,  otherwise  than  through  so-called  *' revi- 
vals of  religion."  According  to  this  wide- 
spread idea,  the  ingathering  of  souls,  the  up- 
building of  the  Church,  her  activity,  power  and 
very  life,  are  dependent  upon  the  revival  sys- 
tem. 

In  view  of  all  this,  we  have  concluded  to 
bring  our  studies  to  a  close  with  an  examina- 
tion of  this  system.  Before  we  enter  upon  the 
subject  itself,  however,  we  desire  to  have  it 
distinctly  understood  that  we  intend  to  discuss 
the  system,  and  not  the  people  who  believe  and 
practice  it.  There  doubtless  are  very  excellent 
Christian  people  who  favor  a  religion  built  up 

197 


198  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

and  dependent  on  such  movements,  and  there 
.may  be  very  nnchristian  people  who  oppose 
this  system.  With  this  we  have  nothing  to  do. 
We  are  not  discussing  persons,  but  doctrines 
and  systems.  The  advocates  of  modern  revival- 
ism claim  the  right  to  hold,  defend  and  propa- 
gate their  views.  We  only  demand  the  same 
right.  If  we  do  not  favor  or  practice  their 
way,  our  people  have  not  only  a  right  to  ask 
for,  but  it  is  our  duty  to  give  the  grounds  and 
reasons  for  our  position. 

In  discussing  this  subject,  we  intend,  as 
usual,  to  speak  with  all  candor  and  plainness. 
We  desire  to  approach  and  view  this  subject, 
as  every  subject,  from  the  fair,  firm  standpoint 
of  the  opening  words  of  the  Formula  of  Con- 
cord, viz.:  **We  believe,  teach  and  confess 
that  the  only  rule  and  standard,  according  to 
which  all  doctrines  and  teachings  should  be 
esteemed  and  judged,  are  nothing  else  than  the 
prophetic  and  apostolic  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament."  We  wish  to  test  it  by 
the  infallible  Word.  By  it,  we  are  willing  to 
be  judged.  According  to  it,  our  doctrines  and 
practices  must  stand  or  fall. 

What  then  is  a  revival?  The  word  revive 
means  to  bring  back  to  life.  It  presupposes  the 
existence  of  life,  which  for  a  time  had  lan- 
guished or  died.  Life  was  present,  it  failed 
and  was  restored. 


BEVIVALS 


199 


Strictly  speaking,  therefore,  we  can  only 
use  this  word  of  the  bringing  back  of  a  life 
that  had  once  been  there  but  was  lost.  Apply- 
ing it  to  spiritual  life,  strictly  speaking,  only  a 
person  who  has  once  had  the  new  life  in  him, 
but  lost  it  for  awhile  and  regained  it,  can  be 
said  to  be  revived.  So,  likewise,  only  a  church 
or  a  community  that  was  once  spiritually  alive, 
but  had  grown  languid  and  lifeless,  can  be  said 
to  be  revived.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  an  im- 
proper use  of  terms  to  apply  the  word  revival 
to  the  work  of  a  foreign  missionary,  who  for 
the  first  time  preaches  the  life-giving  Word, 
and  through  it  gathers  converts  and  organizes 
Churches.  In  his  case  it  is  a  first  enkindling 
and  not  a  restoring,  of  life. 

All  those  Old  Testament  reformations  and 
restorations  to  the  true  worship  and  service 
of  the  true  God,  after  a  time  of  decline  and 
apostasy,  were  revivals  according  to  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word.  For  these  revivals  patri- 
archs and  prophets  labored  and  prayed. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  labors  and  successes 
of  the  apostles  in  the  New  Testament  were  not 
strictly  revivals.  They  preached  the  Gospel 
instead  of  the  law.  They  preached  a  Eedeemer 
who  had  come,  instead  of  one  who  was  to  come. 
It  was  largely  a  new  faith,  a  new  life,  a  new 
way  of  life  that  they  taught,  and  in  so  far  a 
new  Church  that  they  established.    Its  types, 


200  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

shadows  and  roots,  had  all  been  in  the  old 
Covenant  and  Church.  But  so  different  were 
the  fulfillments  from  the  promises,  that  it  was 
truly  called  a  New  Dispensation.  And,  there- 
fore, the  labors  of  the  apostles  to  establish  this 
dispensation  were  largely  missionary  labors. 
It  was  not  so  much  the  restoring  of  an  old 
faith  and  life,  as  the  bringing  in  of  a  new.  We 
find  their  parallel  in  foreign  mission  work  much 
more  than  in  regular  Church  work.  It  is  by 
overlooking  this  distinction  that  many  erron- 
eous doctrines  and  practices  have  crept  into 
the  Church,  e.  g.^  as  to  infant  baptism,  conver- 
sion and  modern  revivalism. 

As  to  revivals,  popularly  so-called,  we  main- 
tain, first  of  all,  that  it  ought  to  be  the  policy 
and  aim  of  the  Church  to  preclude  their  neces- 
sity. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  they  are  only 
needed,  longed  for  and  obtained,  after  a  period 
of  spiritual  decline  and  general  worldliness.  A 
Church  that  is  alive  and  active  needs  no  re- 
vival. A  lifeless  Church  does.  Better  then, 
far  better,  use  every  right  endeavor  to  keep  the 
Church  alive  and  active,  than  permit  it  to  grow 
cold  and  worldly,  with  a  view  and  hope  of  a 
glorious  awakening.  Prevention  is  better  than 
cure.  We  should  rather  pay  a  family  physician 
to  prevent  disease  and  keep  us  well,  than  to 
employ  even  the  most  distinguished  doctor  to 


REVIVALS  201 

cure  a  sick  household ;  especially  so  if  the  prob- 
ability were  that,  in  some  cases,  the  healing 
would  be  only  partial,  and  in  others  it  would 
eventuate  in  an  aggravation  of  the  disease. 

In  the  chapters  on  the  Baptismal  Covenant 
and  Conversion,  we  showed  that  it  is  possible 
to  keep  that  covenant  and  thus  always  grow 
in  Grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  While  we  sorrowfully  admitted 
that  the  cases  of  such  as  do  this  are  not  as  nu- 
merous as  is  possible  and  most  desirable,  we 
also  learned  that  they  might  be  far  more  numer- 
ous, if  parents  and  teachers  understood  their  re- 
sponsibility and  did  their  duty  to  the  baptized 
children.  We  verily  believe  that  thus  it  might 
become  the  rule,  instead  of  the  exception,  that 
the  children  of  Christian  parents  should  grow 
up  as  Christ's  lambs  from  baptism,  should  love 
Him  with  their  earliest  love  and  never  wander 
into  the  ways  of  mlful  sin.  We  also  firmly  be- 
lieve that  those  who  were  thus  early  conse- 
crated, trained,  taught  and  nurtured  in  faith 
and  love,  make  the  healthiest,  the  strongest  and 
most  reliable  members  and  workers  in  the 
Church. 

Neither  can  we  for  a  moment  doubt  that 
such  is  the  good  and  gracious  will  of  Him  who 
desires  the  little  children  to  be  baptized  into 
Him.  It  certainly  seems  repugnant  to  all  that 
we  have  ever  learned  of  our  God  and  Saviour, 


202  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

that  it  should  be  His  will  that  our  dear  chil- 
dren, who  have  been  conceived  and  born  in  sin, 
and  are  therefore  by  nature,  or  by  birth,  the 
children  of  wrath,  should  remain  in  this  state 
of  sin  and  condemnation  until  they  are  old 
enough  to  be  converted  at  a  revival.  Yet  it 
must  be  either  that,  or  a  denial  of  the  Bible 
doctrine  of  original  sin,  if  we  accept  the  teach- 
ings and  practices  of  modern  revivalism.  For 
neither  of  these  positions  are  we  prepared. 

Therefore  it  is  our  great  aim  and  object  to 
recall  the  Church  to  the  old  paths.  Therefore 
we  are  concerned  to  see  the  Church  firmly  es- 
tablished on  the  old  foundations  of  the  doctrine 
of  original  sin,  of  baptism  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  of  training  up  in  that  baptismal  cove- 
nant by  the  constant,  diligent  and  persevering 
teaching  of  God's  Word,  in  the  family,  in  the 
Sunday  School,  in  the  catechetical  class  and 
from  the  pulpit.  In  proportion  as  all  this  is  ac- 
complished, in  that  proportion  will  we  pre- 
clude the  necessity  of  conversions  and,  conse- 
quently, of  revivals. 

Who  will  say  that  a  congregation  made  up 
of  such  as  are  ^'sanctified  from  the  womb,^* 
''lent  to  the  Lord''  from  birth,  having  ''known 
the  Holy  Scripture"  from  childhood,  would  not 
be  a  healthy,  living  Church?  Such  a  Church 
would  need  no  revival. 

Would  it  be  possible  to  have  such  a  Church? 


EEVIVALS  203 

Is  it  possible  for  any  one  member  to  grow  up 
and  remain  a  child  of  God?  K  possible  for 
one,  why  not  for  a  whole  congregation?  Are 
the  means  of  Grace  inadequate?  No,  no! 
The  whole  trouble  lies  in  the  neglect  or  abuse 
of  the  means.  With  their  proper  use,  the 
whole  aspect  of  religious  life  might  be  differ- 
ent from  what  it  is.  It  is  not  a  fatal  necessity 
that  one,  or  more,  or  all  the  members  of  a 
church  must  periodically  grow  cold,  lose  their 
first  love,  and  backslide  from  their  God.  It  is 
not  God's  will,  but  their  fault,  that  it  should 
be  so. 

While  the  church  at  Ephesus  lost  its  first 
love,  and  that  at  Pergamos  permitted  false 
doctrine  to  creep  into  it  and  be  a  stumbling 
block,  and  that  at  Thyatira  suffered  Jezebel 
to  seduce  Christ's  servants,  and  that  at  Sardis 
did  not  have  her  works  found  perfect  before 
God,  and  that  of  Laodicea  had  become  luke- 
warm; yet  the  church  at  Smyrna,  with  all  her 
tribulation  and  poverty  and  persecution,  re- 
mained rich  and  faithful  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  that  at  Philadelphia  had  kept  the  Word 
of  God's  patience,  and  her  enemies  were  to 
know  that  God  loved  her.  While  the  former 
five  were  censured,  the  latter  two  were  ap- 
proved. The  former  might  have  remained  as 
faithful  as  the  latter.  It  was  their  own  fault 
and  sin  that  the  former  needed  a  revival.    The 


204  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

latter  needed  none.     AVhich  were  the  better 
off? 

We  believ6  that  where  there  is  a  sound, 
faithful  and  earnest  pastor,  and  a  docile,  sin- 
cere, earnest,  united  and  active  people,  many 
will  grow  up  in  their  baptismal  covenant;  and 
among  those  who  wander  more  or  less  there- 
from, there  will  be  frequent  conversions,  under 
the  faithful  use  of  the  ordinary  services  and 
ordinances  of  the  Church.  Such,  we  believe, 
were  the  pastorates  of  Richard  Baxter,  at 
Kidderminster ;  of  Ludwig  Harms,  at  Hermans- 
burg;  of  Oberlin,  at  Steinthal;  and  of  our  late 
lamented  Dr.  Greenwald,  at  Easton  and  Lan- 
caster. None  of  these  churches,  after  their 
pastors  were  fairly  established  in  them,  needed 
so  called  revivals.  And  such,  doubtless,  have 
been  thousands  of  quiet,  faithful  pastorates, 
some  known  to  the  world,  and  others  known 
only  to  God.  Blessed  are  those  churches  in 
which  the  work  of  Grace  is  constantly  and  ef- 
fectively going  on,  according  to  God's  Way  of 
Salvation. 


CHAPTEE  XXrV. 
Modern  Revivals. 

WE  have  shown  that  it  ought  to  be  the  great 
aim  and  object  of  the  Church  to  preclude 
the  necessity  of  occasional  religious  excite- 
ments. We  also  showed,  by  example  from 
Scripture  and  from  Church  history,  that  it  is 
possible  to  attain  to  this  end.  If  parents  did 
but  understand  and  do  their  whole  duty  in  the 
family,  teachers  in  the  Sunday-school  and  pas- 
tors in  the  catechetical  class,  in  the  pulpit  and 
from  house  to  house,  children  would  very  gen- 
erally grow  up  in  their  baptismal  covenant ;  and 
a  church  made  up  of  such  members  would  not 
depend  for  its  growth  and  life  on  periodic  re- 
ligious revivals. 

But — alas  thafbut!*' — parents,  teachers  and 
pastors  too  often  come  short  of  their  duty. 
Carelessness,  worldliness  and  godlessness  hold 
sway  in  too  many  of  the  congregations,  homes 
and  families.  There  is  a  love  of  pleasure,  a 
greed  for  gain  and  a  haste  to  be  rich,  that  has 
taken  hold  of  the  heart  and  life  of  too  many 
professedly  Christian  parents.     There  is  no 

205 


206  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

time  for  God's  Word  or  earnest  prayer  with 
and  for  the  children.  There  is  often  little  if 
any  religious  instruction  or  Christian  example. 
The  little  ones  breathe  in  a  withering,  poison- 
ous, materialistic  atmosphere.  The  germs  of 
the  divine  life,  implanted  in  baptism,  either  lie 
dormant,  or  are  blighted  after  their  first  mani- 
festations. They  grow  up  with  the  idea  that 
the  great  object  of  life  is  to  gain  the  most,  and 
make  the  best  of  this  world. 

Oh,  how  much  is  wrong  in  many  of  the  homes 
and  families  of  our  people!  Bad  home  life  is 
responsible  for  the  downfall  of  thousands  of 
our  children  and  young  people.  Countless 
drunkards,  gamblers,  foul-mouthed  and  pro- 
fane wretches,  brutes,  bad  women,  criminals 
and  fiends  in  human  form  once  sat  on  a 
mother's  lap  and  were  pressed  to  her  bosom. 

Has  there  not  been  a  terrible  letting  down  of 
the  moral  and  spiritual  life  of  the  home! 

Thousands  of  children  are  growing  up  in 
Godless  and  Christless  homes.  The  Word,  the 
prayer,  the  spiritual  impression  and  guidance 
so  much  needed  are  not  there.  In  all  too  many 
homes  there  are  card  and  pool  tables,  swearing 
victrolas,  debasing  and  irreverent  books  and 
papers,  bad  example  and  bad  company.  The 
only  god  that  is  extolled,  followed  and  sacri- 
ficed to  is  the  god  of  pleasure  or  the  god  of 
wealth. 


MODERN  REVIVALS  207 

From  such  homes  the  children  go  out  into 
the  world  that  lieth  in  wickedness.  The  boys, 
unguided,  soon  get  into  the  wrong  gangs  and 
the  girls  into  bad  sets.  Among  such  compan- 
ions their  souls  are  rapidly  besmirched.  Virtue 
soon  becomes  cheap  and  is  easily  lost. 

The  debasing  moving  picture  show,  with  its 
gilding  of  crime,  its  heroizing  of  criminals,  its 
laughing  at  the  unspeakable  tragedy  of  a 
woman's  loss  of  virtue,  its  coarse  and  brutaliz- 
ing scenes  of  drinking  and  debauchery  continue 
the  ruin  of  childhood  and  youth.* 

Conscience  becomes  more  and  more  deadened 
until  its  voice  is  no  longer  heard.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  there  is  an  appalling  increase  of 
vice  and  crime  among  the  young?  And  so 
many  of  these  come  from  the  families  of  our 
Church  and  Sunday  School  people.  So  many 
have  been  instructed  and  confirmed.  Did  the 
Sunday  School  teachers  do  their  part? 

Alas,  they  have  in  many  cases  been  all  too 
careless  and  trifling.  They  do  not  live  close 
to  Christ  themselves,  and  how  can  they  lead 
their  pupils  nearer  to  Him?  They  scarcely 
pray  for  themselves,  much  less  for  their  pupils, 
and  how  can  they  instil  into  them  a  spirit  of 
prayer! 

And  what  of  the  pastors?     Have  they  been 

*0h  for  good,  pure,  elevating  and  instructive  moving 
picture  shows!     Such  shows  are  certainly  not  impossible. 


208  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

as  earnest  and  consecrated  as  they  should  be? 
We  fear  that  too  many  are  not  burning  with 
a  desire  for  souls.  They  go  through  their 
ministerial  duties  in  a  formal,  lifeless  manner, 
and  their  labors  are  barren  of  results.  When 
such  pastors  look  upon  these  lapsed  and  lost 
ones  can  they  say  that  they  have  done  their 
part?  Did  they  instruct,  warn  and  beseech 
parents  and  young  people  day  and  night  with 
tears?  Can  they  say  with  Paul:  "I  am  clean 
of  the  blood  of  all"  these? 

Is  not  an  awakening  needed?  Should  there 
not  be  a  special  evangelistic  campaign?  Was 
not  Doctor  Jacobs  right  when  he  reported  to 
the  General  Council  in  Rock  Island: 

"In  view  of  the  godless  spirit  of  the  age,  the 
floods  of  wickedness  in  high  places  and  in  low 
and  the  currents  of  ungodliness  and  indiffer- 
ence that  enter  the  Church  with  their  deadening 
and  paralyzing  effects  even  upon  many  en- 
trusted with  the  holy  office  of  the  ministry;  in 
a  time  and  land  where  the  cardinal  doctrines  of 
Christianity  are  constantly  assailed  both 
openly  and  perhaps,  even  more  dangerously  by 
the  ignoring  of  Christian  standards  in  our 
schools  and  literature — especially  in  the  public 
press;  and 

Amidst  widespread  demands  that  the  Church 
shall  be  restricted  to  the  sphere  of  a  purely 
ethical  and  social  institution  and  that  the  great 


MODERN  REVIVALS  209 

verities  of  our  Holy  Faith  and  God's  Word  be 
consigned  to  obscurity;  we  appreciate  the  ef- 
forts of  earnest  men  to  awaken  a  lost  world 
and  a  sleeping  Church  to  the  great  realities  of 
God  and  eternity,  of  sin  and  redemption  and 
rejoice  in  every  success  gained  in  the  winning 
of  men  to  Christ  and  the  stemming  to  any  de- 
gree of  the  tide  of  materilism  and  false  spirit- 
ualism around  us.'* 

If  then  we  admit  that  times  of  refreshing  are 
often  needed,  why  not  have  them  after  the 
manner  of  those  around  us?  Why  not  adopt 
the  modern  system,  have  union  meetings, 
evangelists,  high-pressure  methods,  excite- 
ments, the  anxious  bench,  the  saw-dust  trail, 
the  magnetic  hand-shake,  and  all  the  modern 
machinery  for  getting  up  revivals? 

We  will  briefly  state  our  objections  to  this 
system. 

First.  We  object  to  the  modern  revival  sys- 
tem, because  it  rests  on  an  entire  misconception 
of  the  coming  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
idea  seems  to  be  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not 
effectively  present  in  the  regular  and  ordinary 
services  of  the  sanctuary;  that  He  came  to  the 
Church  as  a  transient  guest  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  then  departed  again,  and  returned 
when  there  was  another  season  of  special  in- 
terest. That  He  then  left  again,  and  ever  since 
has  come  and  worked  with  power  during  every 


210 


THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 


revival,  and  then  departed  to  be  absent  until 
the  next. 

We  claim  that  this  is  directly  contrary  to  the 
teaching  of  the  Divine  Word. 

When  Jesus  was  about  to  leave  His  disciples 
they  were  filled  with  deep  sorrow.  He  gathered 
them  around  Him,  in  that  upper  chamber  at 
Jerusalem,  and  comforted  them  in  those  tender, 
loving  words,  recorded  in  the  fourteenth,  fif- 
teenth and  sixteenth  chapters  of  John.  In 
these  chapters  He  promises  and  speaks  much 
of  a  Comforter,  whom  He  would  send.  The 
whole  discourse  goes  to  show  that  this  Com- 
forter was  intended  to  be  substituted  for  the 
visible  presence  of  Himself.  His  own  visible 
presence  was  to  be  withdrawn.  The  Comforter 
was  to  be  sent  to  take  His  place,  and  thus,  in  a 
manner,  make  good  the  loss.  Jesus  had  been 
their  comforter  and  their  joy.  They  would  no 
longer  have  Him  visibly  among  them,  to  walk 
with  Him,  to  talk  with  Him,  to  hear  the  life- 
giving  words  that  fell  from  His  lips.  The 
announcement  made  them  feel  as  if  they  were 
to  be  left  ''comfortless'*  and  forsaken.  But  he 
says,  John  xiv.  16:  "I  will  pray  the  Father, 
and  He  will  give  you  another  Comforter,  that 
He  may  abide  with  you  forever,  even  the  Spirit 
of  truth;"  verse  18,  ^'I  will  not  leave  you  com- 
fortless: revised  version,  ''I  will  not  leave  you 
desolate;"  more  literally  still,  as  in  the  margin, 


MODERN   REVIVALS  211 

"I  will  not  leave  you  orphans."  John  xvi.  5,  6, 
7:  "But  now  I  go  my  way  to  Him  that  sent 
me.  .  .  .  But  because  I  have  said  these 
things  unto  you,  sorrow  hath  filled  your  hearts. 
Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth.  It  is  exped- 
ient for  you  that  I  go  away,  for  if  I  go  not  away 
the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you,  hut  if  1 
depart  I  will  send  Him  unto  you.*' 

From  these  words,  and  others  in  these 
chapters,  two  things  are  plain :  First,  that  the 
Comforter  came  as  the  visible  Christ's  substi- 
tute; Secondly,  that  He  came  to  abide.  While 
Jesus  was  to  be  absent,  as  far  as  His  visible 
presence  was  concerned,  the  divine  Comforter, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  was  to  take  His  place.  His 
presence  was  to  substitute  the  visible  Christ. 
But  if  He  had  come  to  be  present  only  briefly, 
and  occasionally,  after  long  intervals  of  ab- 
sence, it  would  be  a  poor  filling  of  the  painful 
void.  Evidently  the  impression  designed  to  be 
made  by  the  words  of  Jesus  was,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  would  come  to  abide.  And  this  is  made 
still  more  clear  by  the  plain  words  of  Jesus 
quoted  above  ''I  will  not  leave  you  orphans;'* 
''He  shall  abide  with  you  forever."  He  came, 
then,  as  a  substitute;  He  came  also  to  abide 
forever. 

The  revival  system  is,  however,  built  up  on 
the  idea  that  He  comes  and  goes.  He  visits  the 
Church,  and  leaves  it  again.    At  so-called  re- 


212  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

vival  seasons  the  Church  has  a  Comforter. 
During  all  the  rest  of  the  time  she  is  left  in  a 
desolate  or  orphaned  state.  Thus  is  the  re- 
vival system  built  up  on  an  entire  misconcep- 
tion and  misapprehension  as  to  the  coming  and 
abiding  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

It  likewise  misconceives  entirely  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Spirit.  The  idea  seems  to  be  that 
this  Blessed  One  operates  without  means,  di- 
rectly, arbitrarily  and  at  haphazard.  The 
Word  and  Sacraments  are  not  duly  recognized 
as  the  divinely  ordained  means  and  channels, 
through  which  He  reaches  the  hearts  of  the 
children  of  men.  That  this  is  an  unscriptural 
idea  we  have  shown  elsewhere.  That  the  Spirit 
uses  the  means  of  grace  as  channels  and  instru- 
ments, through  which  He  comes  and  operates 
on  the  hearts  of  men  and  imparts  to  them  re- 
newing and  sanctifying  grace,  is  taught  all 
through  the  New  Testament.  We  need  not  en- 
large on  these  points  again,  but  refer  our 
readers  to  what  has  been  written  above  on  this 
subject. 

Our  second  objection  to  the  modern  revival 
system  arises  out  of  the  first.  Because  of  the 
errors  concerning  the  coming  and  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  system  under- 
values the  divinely-ordained  means  of  Grace. 
Little  if  any  renewing  Grace  is  expected  from 
the  sacrament  of  Christian  Baptism.    Few  if 


MODERN  REVIVALS  213 

any  conversions  are  expected  from  the  regular 
and  ordinary  preaching  of  the  Word.     Little 
if  any  spiritual  nourishment  is  expected  from 
the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.    Who  that 
has  studied  such  meetings  has  not  heard  the 
idea  of  Grace  bestowed  through  Baptism  ridi- 
culed?    Who  has  not  heard  so-called  revival 
preachers  scout  the  idea  of  '' getting  religion" 
--which  must  mean  receiving"  divine  Grace  if 
it   means    anything— through    catechising    the 
young  in  the  doctrines  of  the  divine  Word? 
Are  not  these  divine  means  often  entirely  set 
aside    by    the    most    enthusiastic    revivalists? 
Who  does  not  know  that  often  at  these  revival 
services  the  reading  and  sometimes  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Word  are  entirely  omitted?     Thus 
God's  means,  the  means  used  by  Christ  and 
His  apostles,  are  undervalued.    They  are  used 
at  the  ordinary  services,  when  there  is  no  re- 
vival going  on,  but  not  much  is  expected  of  them. 
Our  third  objection  arises  from  the  second. 
Because   the   regular  Church   ordinances  are 
undervalued,  they  are  largely  fruitless.     Be- 
cause people  have  not  much  faith  in  their  effi- 
cacy, they  do  not  receive  much  benefit  from 
them.     Few  conversions  are  expected  or  re- 
ported  during  the   ten   or  eleven   months   of 
regular    or    ordinary    church    services,    while 
many,  if  not  all,  are  expected   and  reported 
from  the  few  weeks  of  special  effort.    Even  the 


214  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

work  of  sanctification  is  largely  crowded  into 
the  few  weeks.  It  is  during  these  few  weeks 
that  saints  expect  to  be  quickened,  refreshed, 
strenthened  and  purified,  more  than  during  all 
the  rest  of  the  year. 

It  is  doubtless  both  as  a  cause  and  a  result 
of  this  undervaluing  and  general  fruitlessness 
of  the  ordinary  Church  ordinances,  that  we  find 
so  much  levity  and  irreverence  in  many  so- 
called  revival  Churches.  Because  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  not  supposed  to  be  effectively  present, 
is  not  in  the  Word  and  Sacraments,  does  not 
bring  His  saving  and  sanctifying  grace  through 
them;  therefore  there  is  nothing  solemn,  awe- 
inspiring,  or  uplifting  in  these  things.  There- 
fore the  young,  and  sometimes  older  ones,  go 
to  these  churches  as  to  places  of  amusement, 
to  have  a  good  time,  to  laugh,  to  whisper,  to 
gaze  about,  write  notes,  get  company,  and 
what  not. 

A  careful  observer  cannot  fail  to  notice  that 
in  Churches  which  believe  in  and  preach  Grace 
through  the  means  of  Grace,  there  is  an  at- 
mosphere of  deeper  solemnity  and  more  earn- 
est devotion  than  in  such  revival  Churches. 
The  above  objection  to  the  revival  system  we 
believe  will  explain  the  difference. 

We  object  fourthly  to  the  so-called  revival 
system  because,  as  a  natural  result  of  the 
above,  it  begets  a  dependence  on  something 


MODERN  REVIVALS  215 

extraordinary    and    miraculous    for    bringing 
sinners  into  the  kingdom.     As  we  have  seen, 
these  Churches  expect  nearly  all  their  conver- 
sions from  ''revivals."     It  naturally  follows 
that  the  unconverted  will  shake  off  and  get  rid 
of  all  serious  thoughts  and  impressions  at  the 
regular  church  services,  under  the  plea  that 
they  will  give  this  matter  their  attention  when 
the  next  revival  comes  round.    We  have  more 
than  once  heard  persons  say,  in  effect,  *'0h 
well,  I  know  I'm  not  what  I  ought  to  be,  but 
perhaps  I'll  be  converted  at  the  next  revival." 
Thus  the  gracious  influences   of  the  blessed 
Spirit,  as  they  come  through  the  Word,  whether 
from  the  pulpit,  the  Sunday-school  teacher,  or 
Christian  friend,  or  even  when  that  Word  is 
brought  to  a  funeral  or  sick-bed,  are  all  put 
aside  with  the  hope  that  there  may  be  a  change 
at  the  next  revival.     And  we  verily  believe 
that  such  ideas,  fostered  by  a  false  system, 
have  kept  countless  souls  out  of  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

We  object  fifthly  that  at  these  so-called  re- 
vivals there  is  a  dependence  on  methods  not 
sanctioned  or  authorized  by  the  Word  of  God. 
As  we  have  seen,  God's  means  are  generally 
slighted.  On  the  other  hand,  human  means  and 
methods  are  exalted  and  magnified. 

The  anxious  bench  is  regarded  by  many 
otherwise  sensible  people,  as  a  veritable  mercy- 


216  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

seat,  where  Grace  is  supposed  to  abound — as 
though  the  Spirit  of  God  manifested  His  sav- 
ing and  sanctifying  power  there  as  nowhere 
else.  But  this  is  a  purely  human  institution, 
and  has  no  warrant  in  the  Word.  On  this  point 
it  is  not  necessary  to  enlarge. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

MoDEEN  Revivals,  Continued. 

WE  continue  our  objections  to  the  modern 
revival  system. 
Our  sixth  objection  is  the  utter  indifference 
to  doctrine  that  generally  goes  hand  in  hand 
with  its  methods  and  practices.    To  ^'contend 
earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the 
saints/'  seems  to  be  altogether  out  of  place 
at  a  modern  revival.    There  is  no  "taking  heed 
unto  the  doctrine,"  or  ''holding  fast  the  form 
of  sound  words,"  or  ''becoming  rooted   and 
built  up  in  Christ,  and  established  in  the  faith 
as  ye  have  been  taught."    There  is  no  counsel- 
ling to  "be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and  fro 
and  carried   about  with   every  wind   of   doc- 
trine;" no  warning  against  false  teachers  and 
false    doctrines.      Instead    of    thus    following 
Christ  and  His  Apostles,  in  insisting  on  the 
truth,  the  faith,  and  the  doctrine;  instead  of 
thus  warning  against  error  or  false  doctrine, 
and  showing  that  it  "doth  eat  as  a  canker," 
and  endanger  the  very  salvation  of  the  soul, 
the  modern  revival  system  habitually  inveighs 

217 


218  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

against  all  such  loyalty  to  the  truth  and  con- 
tending for  the  faith  and  j)ure  doctrine  as 
bigotry,  intolerance,  lack  of  charity,  if  not  lack 
of  all ' '  experimental  religion. ' '  In  many  quar- 
ters indeed  the  idea  is  boldly  advanced  that  the 
more  a  person  stands  up  for  pure  doctrine, 
for  Word  and  Sacrament  as  channels  of  Grace, 
the  less  Grace  he  has;  and  the  more  he  makes 
light  of  doctrine,  the  less  positive  conviction  he 
has ;  the  less  he  thinks  of  creeds,  catechism,  and 
confessions  of  faith,  the  more  religion  he  has! 
The  popular  sentiment  is :  it  makes  no  differ- 
ence what  a  person  believes,  or  to  what  Church 
he  belongs,  or  indeed,  whether  he  belongs  to 
any,  if  only  he  is  converted;  if  only  he  means 
well ;  if  only  the  heart  is  right !  Now,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  show  here  again  that  all  such  in- 
difference to  doctrine  is  directly  contrary  to 
the  teaching  of  Christ  and  His  apostles. 

Our  seventh  objection  is  closely  connected 
with  the  last.  Where  there  is  so  much  indif- 
ference to  the  Truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  that  it 
often  amounts  to  open  contempt,  we  cannot 
expect  any  provision  for  teaching  His  saving 
truths  to  men.  Hence  we  find  but  small  provi- 
sion, if  any,  for  doctrinal  instruction  in  the  re- 
vival system.  Those  who  are  expected  to  be 
gathered  in,  converted  and  brought  to  Christ, 
are  not  first  instructed.  They  do  not  learn 
what  sin  is,  what  Grace  is,  and  how  it  is  com- 


MODERN  REVIVALS  219 

municated  and  applied.  They  are  left  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  great  doctrines  of  sin  and  salva- 
tion. They  have  the  most  imperfect  conception 
of  God's  Way  of  Salvation.  And  yet  they  are 
expected  to  enter  upon  that  way,  and  walk  in 
it.  They  are  exhorted  to  be  converted,  to  get 
religion,  and  to  believe,  while  it  is  seldom,  if 
ever,  made  clear  what  all  this  means,  and  how 
it  is  brought  about. 

Surely  it  is  not  necessary  that  we  should 
show  that  if  ever  a  person  needs  to  act  intelli- 
gently— if  ever  he  needs  to  know  exactly  what 
he  is  doing,  why  he  is  doing  it,  and  what  is 
involved  in  so  doing — it  is  when  he  is  acting  in 
the  interests  of  his  eternal  salvation.  Then,  if 
ever,  he  should  act  tmderstandingly  and  hon- 
estly. And  for  this  he  needs  instruction.  We 
have  shown  elsewhere  that  this  is  God's  way, 
the  Bible  way,  the  way  of  the  early  Church,  the 
way  of  the  great  Protestant  Reformation,  and 
the  way  of  our  Church  of  the  Reformation  to 
this  day. 

We  therefore  object  to  this  modern  revival 
system,  because  it  has  largely  supplanted  the 
old  time  systematic  and  thorough  indoctrina- 
tion of  the  young.  And,  as  we  have  elsewhere 
said,  we  are  convinced  that,  just  in  proportion 
as  the  youth  are  uncatechised  and  uninstructed 
in  the  great  doctrines  of  God's  Word  regarding 
sin  and  grace,  in  that  proportion  will  doubt, 


220  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

skepticism,  unbelief  and  infidelity  infect  them, 
and  lead  them  into  the  paths  of  the  destroyer. 
Our  eighth  objection  to  this  modern  revival 
system,  is  that  it  is  so  largely  built  up  on  the 
excitement  of  the  feelings.  The  first  and  great 
object  of  the  revivalist  seems  to  be  to  work  di- 
rectly on  the  emotional  nature  of  his  hearers. 
If  he  can  stir  the  depths  of  the  heart  until  it 
throbs  and  thrills  with  pent-up  emotions,  if  he 
can  play  upon  its  chords  until  they  vibrate 
and  tremble  under  his  touch,  until  its  hidden 
chambers  ring  again  with  responsive  longings, 
until  at  last  the  repressed  intensity  breaks 
forth  in  overpowering  excitement,  he  is  con- 
sidered a  successful  revival  preacher.  To  reach 
this  end  the  preaching  is  made  up  of  exhorta- 
tions, anecdotes  and  appeals.  There  are  touch- 
ing stories,  calculated  to  make  the  tender- 
hearted weep.  There  are  thrilling  and  startling- 
experiences,  calculated  to  frighten  the  more 
hard-hearted.  There  are  lively,  emotional 
songs,  with  stirring  music,  calculated  to  affect 
the  nervous  system  and  bring  about  strange 
sensations.  And  when  the  feelings  are  aroused, 
when  the  excitement  is  up,  the  hearers  are 
urged  to  come  forward,  to  go  to  the  inquiry- 
room,  to  stand  up,  to  follow  the  saw-dust  trail 
and  shake  hands  with  the  evangelist,  or  to  do 
something  else  to  show  that  they  are  ready  to 
take  the  decisive  step. 


MODERN  REVIVALS  221 

Now,  as  we  have  shown  above,  if  ever  a  per- 
son needs  to  be  calm  and  deliberate,  it  is  when 
about  to  take  the  most  important  step  of  his 
whole  life.  But  men  don't  generally  take  im- 
portant steps,  or  enter  upon  decisive  move- 
ments, when  they  are  excited.  When  one  is 
excited  he  is  very  apt  to  do  the  wrong  thing, 
and  to  regret  it  afterwards. 

Not  that  we  object  to  all  feeling  in  religion. 
We  by  no  means  believe  in  a  religion  without 
feeling.  We  know  of  no  true  piety  without 
deep  and  heartfelt  sorrow  for  sin,  and  earnest 
longings  for  ever  closer  union  and  fellowship 
with  God,  together  with  a  childlike  trust  and  a 
fervent  love  to  Him.  We  believe,  however,  that 
the  heart,  with  its  emotions,  can  only  be  effec- 
tively reached  through  the  understanding. 
Through  the  mind  we  work  on  the  heart. 
Through  the  judgment  we  change  the  feelings. 
We  appeal  first  to  the  intellect,  to  instruct,  to 
enlighten,  to  give  clear  and  correct  views  and 
ideas,  then  through  the  intellect  to  the  heart. 
When  Paul  was  sent  to  convert  the  Gentiles, 
his  direction  was  first  of  all  ''to  open  their 
eyes'' — that  is,  to  instruct  them — and  then  to 
"turn  them  from  darkness  to  light."  Paul  was 
not  to  begin  on  the  feelings,  but  on  the  intellect. 
But  the  modern  revival  system  reverses  this 
method.  It  makes  a  short  cut,  and  goes  at  once 
to  the  feelings,  without  first  enlightening  the 


222  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

mind.  This  is  contrary,  not  only  to  the  Scrip- 
tures, but  it  is  also  directly  contrary  to  tlie 
science  and  laws  of  the  mind.  It  contradicts 
true  psychology  and  true  theology  as  well  as 
the  Bible. 

We  believe  that  where  there  is  the  proper 
instruction  in  the  great  saving  doctrines  of 
God's  Word,  where  the  mind  is  properly  en- 
lightened to  know  what  sin  is,  what  salvation 
is,  and  how  it  is  obtained,  there,  unless  there  is 
a  positive  and  determined  resistance  to  the 
power  of  truth,  the  proper  feelings  will  come 
of  their  own  accord.  It  will  require  no  heart- 
rending stories,  no  frantic  appeals,  no  violent 
exhortations  to  bring  them  about.  But  we  ob- 
ject to  the  revival  system,  because  it  is  almost 
entirely  built  up  on  feeling,  and  thus  reaches 
only  one  department  of  man's  complex  nature. 
Instead  of  changing  the  whole  immaterial  man 
— ^his  intellect,  his  sensibilities,  and  his  will — 
it  spends  its  force  on  the  insensibilities  alone. 

Our  ninth  objection  we  can  state  briefly.  Be- 
cause the  revival  system  undervalues  sound 
doctrine  and  instruction  therein,  and  because 
it  depends  so  largely  on  feeling,  it  not  only 
permits  but  encourages  the  ignorant  and  inex- 
perienced to  assist  in  exhorting  and  helping 
those  who  are  inquiring  after  life  and  salvation. 

Those  who  have  scarcely  "got  through" 
themselves,  who  have  given  little  earnest  study 


MODEKN  EEVIVALS  223 

to  God's  Way  of  Salvation,  who  do  not  know 
tlie  alphabet  of  Grace,  and  the  means  and 
methods  of  Grace, — these  are  often  the  pre- 
tended instructors  at  the  anxious  bench  and  in 
the  meetings  for  inquirers.  Now,  we  object 
strongly  to  such  procedures.  *'Can  the  blind 
lead  the  blind?  Will  they  not  both  fall  in  the 
ditch?''  Better  let  these  novices  themselves 
sit  at  the  feet  of  Christ.  Let  Christ's  author- 
ized teachers  instruct  them  in  God's  Way  of 
Salvation,  before  they  undertake  to  lead  other 
lost  and  groping  ones. 

We  object  finally  that,  at  the  experience  and 
testimony  meetings,  held  in  connection  with 
modern  revivals,  not  only  novices,  as  described 
above,  but  those  who  have  been  the  veriest 
profligates,  are  encouraged  to  speak,  and  are 
at  least  permitted  to  recount  and  seemingly  to 
glory  in  their  former  sins.  They  do  not  speak 
as  Paul  did,  when  compelled  to  refer  to  his 
former  life,  with  deep  sorrow  and  shame,  but 
often  jestingly,  flippantly,  and  as  if  they 
imagined  that  they  ought  now  to  be  looked  upon 
and  admired  as  great  heroes.  We  believe  that 
this  is  all  wrong  and  productive  of  great  harm. 
The  unconverted  youth,  listening  to  such  talk, 
says  to  himself,  *'Well,  if  such  a  person  can  so 
suddenly  rise  and  be  looked  up  to  and  be  made 
a  teacher  of  others,  a  leader  of  the  experience 
and  prayer-meeting,  certainly  I  need  not  be 


224  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

uneasy;  for  I  have  a  long  way  to  go,  before  I 
get  as  far  as  he  was."  Therefore,  we  object 
to  all  such  conduct.  It  is  not  only  unscriptural, 
but  unbecoming.  It  is  an  offense  against  good 
breeding  and  common  decency.  It  does  great 
harm. 

But  enough.  We  might  still  speak  of  the 
spirit  of  self-righteousness  engendered  and 
fostered  by  this  system.  We  might  speak  of 
the  sad  results  that  follow  with  so  many — how 
that  persons  become  excited,  have  strange  sen- 
sations and  feelings,  imagine  that  this  is  re- 
ligion, afterwards  find  that  they  have  the  same 
old  heart,  no  strength  against  sin,  no  peace  of 
conscience,  none  of  that  bliss  and  joy  they 
heard  others  speak  of  and  expected  for  them- 
selves, and  how  they  gradually  fall  back  into 
their  old  mode  of  life,  become  harder  than  ever, 
and  at  last  drift  into  hopeless  unbelief,  and 
say:  ** There  is  nothing  in  religion;  I've  tried 
it,  and  found  it  a  delusion."  Thus  is  their  last 
state  worse  than  their  first.  We  might  show 
that  in  sections  of  country  where  this  false 
system  has  held  sway,  worldliness  and  skeptic- 
ism abound.  These  places  have  been  aptly 
called  ''burnt  districts."  It  seems  next  to  im- 
possible to  make  lasting  impressions  for  good 
on  such  communities. 

We  might  speak  of  the  proselyting  spirit 
that  so  often  accompanies  this  system.     How 


MODERN  REVIVALS  225 

with  all  its  protestations  of  charity,  brotherly 
love,  and  union,  it  often  runs  out  into  the 
meanest  spirit  of  casting  aspersions  on  others 
and  stealing  from  their  churches.  We  might 
speak  of  the  divided  churches  that  often  result. 
As  Dr.  Krauth  once  forcibly  said,  ''They  are 
united  to  pieces,  and  revived  to  death."  We 
might  point  to  the  divided  households,  to  the 
destruction  of  family  peace,  to  the  many  sad 
heart-burnings  and  alienations  that  result.  But 
we  forbear.  The  whole  system  is  an  invention 
of  man.  It  is  unscriptural  from  beginning  to 
end.  We  cannot  conceive  of  our  blessed  Sav- 
iour or  of  His  apostles  conducting  a  modern 
revival.    The  mind  revolts  at  the  idea. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Modern  Revivals,  Concluded. 

WE  have  given  a  number  of  reasons  for  re- 
fusing to  favor  or  adopt  the  modern 
revival  system  as  a  part  of  the  Way  of  Salva- 
tion. We  now  add  the  testimony  of  others, 
not  only  of  our  own  communion,  but  also  of 
other  denominations. 

Undoubtedly  one  of  the  greatest  and  most 
important  of  these  religious  movements  was 
that  one  which  swept  over  Presbyterian  and 
Congregational  Churches  of  New  England,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia,  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  It  is  gen- 
erally known  and  spoken  of  as  ^'the  great 
awakening."  Its  leading  spirits  were  such 
staunch  and  loyal  Calvinists  as  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, the  Tennents,  Blair,  and  others.  In  the 
matter  of  doctrinal  preaching  and  instruction  it 
was  certainly  very  far  in  advance  of  the  so- 
called  revivals  of  the  present  day.  And  yet  in 
many  of  its  direct  results  it  was  anything  but 
salutary.  It  was  the  principal  cause  of  the 
division  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  into  Old 
and  New  School. 

226 


MODERN"  REVIVALS  227 

Let  us  hear  what  some  of  the  eminent  theolo- 
gians of  these  Churches  say  of  the  results  of 
"the  great  awakening:" 

Dr.  Sereno  E.  Dwight,  the  biographer  of 
Jonathan  Edwards,  and  one  of  his  descendants, 
says:  ''It  is  deserving  perhaps  of  inquiry, 
whether  the  subsequent  slumbers  of  the  Ameri- 
can Church  for  nearly  seventy  years  may  not 
be  ascribed,  in  an  important  degree,  to  the  fatal 
reaction  of  these  unhappy  measures." 

Jonathan  Edwards,  himself  the  most  zealous 
and  successful  promoter  of  the  whole  move- 
ment, in  1750,  when  its  fruits  could  be  fairly 
tested,  writes  thus: — "Multitudes  of  fair  and 
high  professors,  in  one  place  and  another,  have 
sadly  backslidden;  sinners  are  desperately 
hardened;  experimental  religion  is  more  than 
ever  out  of  credit  with  the  far  greater  part, 
and  the  doctrines  of  Grace  and  those  principles 
in  religion  that  do  chiefly  concern  the  power 
of  godliness  are  far  more  than  ever  discarded. 
Arminianism  and  Pelagianism  have  made 
strange  progress  within  a  few  years.  .  .  . 
Many  professors  are  gone  off  to  great  lengths 
in  enthusiasm  and  extravagance  in  their  notions 
and  practices.  Great  contentions,  separa- 
tions, and  confusions  in  our  religious  state 
prevail  in  many  parts  of  the  land." 

The  above  is  from  a  letter  to  a  friend  in 
Scotland.    We  give  also  a  brief  quotation  from 


228  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

his  farewell  sermon  to  his  church  at  Notting- 
ham: 

^'Another  thing  that  vastly  concerns  your 
future  prosperity  is  that  you  should  watch 
against  the  encroachments  of  error,  and  par- 
ticularly Arminianism  and  doctrines  of  like 
tendency.  .  .  These  doctrines  at  this  day 
are  much  more  prevalent  than  they  were  for- 
merly. The  progress  they  have  made  in  the 
land  within  this  seven  years  (i  e.,  since  the  re- 
vival), seems  to  have  been  vastly  greater  than 
at  any  time  in  the  like  space  before.  And  they 
are  still  prevailing  and  creeping  into  almost 
all  parts  of  the  land,  threatening  the  utter  ruin 
of  the  credit  of  those  doctrines  which  are  the 
peculiar  glory  of  the  Gospel  and  the  interests 
of  vital  piety." 

Dr.  Van  Kensselaer,  in  commenting  on  these 
and  other  serious  words  of  the  great  Jonathan 
Edwards,  says: 

''And  what  was  the  final  result?  Arminian- 
ism led  the  way  to  Socinianism,  and  near  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  there  was 
but  a  single  orthodox  Congregational  church  in 
Boston.  Harvard  University  had  lapsed  into 
heresy,  and  about  a  third  of  the  churches  of 
the  Puritans  denied  the  faith  held  by  their 
fathers."  And  all  this  he  traces  back  to  that 
''great  awakening."  He  further  says.  "A 
work  so  great  and  extensive  was  accompanied 


~^  MODERN  REVIVALS  229 

by  incidents  which  made  many  good  men  doubt- 
ful as  to  its  effects  on  the  Church.  Special 
seasons  of  religious  interest  are  seasons  of 
danger  and  temptation  even  under  the  guid- 
ance of  the  most  enlightened  and  prudent.  .  .  . 
Good  men  differ  much  in  their  estimate  of  the 
awakening,  and  the  fruits  of  the  work  in  many 
places  afforded  reason  of  much  apprehension. 

.  .  In  its  earlier  stages  the  revival  was  un- 
questionably the  occasion  of  the  confession  of 
many  souls.  It  was  like  one  of  those  mighty 
rains  of  summer  which  refresh  many  a  plant 
and  tree,  but  which  are  accompanied,  in  many 
places,  with  hail  and  storm  and  overflowing 
desolation,  and  which  are  followed  by  a  long, 
dreary  drought.  The  Presbyterian  Church 
welcomes  fair  revivals,  sent  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
but  is  averse  to  man-made  schemes  for  getting 
up  temporary  excitements  which  have  been  so 
prevalent  in  our  day." 

During  the  years  between  1830-1850,  another 
revival  agitation  swept  over  the  American 
Church.  It  was  during  this  time,  especially, 
that  our  English  Lutheran  churches  caught  the 
contagion,  introduced  the  ''new  measures," 
such  as  the  ''mourner's  bench,"  "protracted 
meetings,"  the  admission  of  members  without 
catechetical  instruction,  and  many  other  novel- 
ties. In  not  a  few  places,  so-called  Lutherans 
vied  with  the  most  fanatical  sects  in  their  wild 


230  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

extravagances.  Those  who  adhered  to  the 
time-honored  method  and  spirit  of  conservative 
Lutheranism,  who  preached  the  Word  in  all  its 
simplicity,  catechised  the  young,  taught  that 
the  Spirit  and  Grace  of  God  can  only  be  ex- 
pected to  operate  through  Christ's  own  means, 
through  Word  and  Sacrament,  were  denounced 
as  formalists,  who  knew  nothing  of  vital  piety. 
Among  the  leading  advocates  of  the  new  way 
was  the  Rev.  Eeuben  Weiser.  This  now  de- 
parted brother,  with  many  other  serious  and 
thoughtful  men,  afterwards  saw  the  error  of 
his  ways,  and  frankly  and  publicly  confessed 
his  change  of  conviction  in  the  Lutheran  Ob- 
server.   He  says : 

"In  1842  Dr.  J.  W.  Nevin,  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  published  a  pamphlet 
called  'The  Anxious  Bench.'  It  was,  for  that 
time,  a  bold  and  vigorous  arraignment  of  the 
whole  modern  revival  system.  He  warned  the 
German  churches  against  this  style  of  religion, 
but  his  warning  was  not  much  heeded  at  the 
time.  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  reply  to  Dr.  Nevin 
in  a  pamphlet  called  'The  Mourners'  Bench.' 
At  that  time  I  was  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
extensive  revival  of  my  whole  ministry.  I 
was  honest  and  sincere  in  my  views,  for  I  had 
not  seen  then  many  of  the  evils  that  were  al- 
most certain  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  revivals 
as  they  were  then  conducted.     Personally,  I 


MODERN  REVIVALS  231 

respected  and  esteemed  Dr.  Nevin  highly,  but 
as  he  had  opposed  my  cherished  views,  I  felt 
it  my  duty  to  write  against  him.  I  said  some 
things  long  since  regretted,  and  now,  after 
the  lapse  of  nearly  half  a  century,  make  this 
amende  honorable.  And  it  must  be  a  source 
of  pleasure  to  Dr.  Nevin,  who  is  still  living, 
that  the  views  which  he  so  ably  advocated  in 
the  face  of  much  bitter  opposition,  have  been 
generally  adopted  by  nearly  all  the  Churches. ' ' 

Dr.  Weiser  proceeds:  ''Many  of  our 
churches  that  fostered  this  system  were  in  the 
end  injured  by  it.  .  .  Under  the  revival 
system  it  was  very  natural  for  the  people  to 
become  dissatisfied  with  the  ordinary  means  of 
Grace.  There  was  a  constant  longing  for  ex- 
citement, and  when  the  ebullition  of  feeling 
abated,  many  thought  they  had  'lost  their  re- 
ligion.' The  next  move  was  that  as  the 
preacher  was  so  dead  and  lifeless  they  must 
get  another  who  had  more  fire,  and  thus  the 
old  pastor  was  sent  adrift. ' ' 

Elsewhere  Dr.  Weiser  has  clearly  expressed 
himself  as  having  become  firmly  convinced 
that  the  old  churchly  method  of  careful  and 
systematic  catechising  of  the  young,  is  the  only 
sure  and  safe  way  of  building  up  the  Church. 
He  also  quotes  Dr.  Morris  as  saying:  "The 
'mourner's  bench'  was  introduced  into  Lu- 
theran churches  in  imitation  of  the  Methodists, 


232  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

and  also  disorders,  such  as  shouting,  clapping 
of  hands,  groaning,  and  singing  of  choruses  of 
doggerel  verses  to  the  most  frivolous  tunes, 
whilst  ministers  or  members,  and  sometimes 
women,  were  engaged  in  speaking  to  the  mourn- 
ers. Feelings  were  aroused,  as  usual,  by  por- 
traying the  horrors  of  hell,  reciting  affecting 
stories,  alluding  to  deaths  in  families,  violent 
vociferation,  and  other  means.  At  prayer  often 
all  would  pray  as  loud  as  the  leader.  These 
exercises  would  continue  night  after  night, 
until  the  physical  energies  were  exhausted." 

Dr.  H.  E.  Jacobs,  in  his  preface  to  Eev.  G. 
H.  Trabert's  tract  on  *' Genuine  versus  Spur- 
ious Revivals,"  writes  thus  of  the  system: 
*  *  This  system,  if  system  it  may  be  called,  is  in 
many  of  its  elements  simply  a  reproduction  of 
the  Eomish  errors  against  which  our  fathers 
bore  testimony  in  the  days  of  the  Reformation. 
Wide  as  is  the  apparent  difference,  we  find  in 
both  the  same  corruption  of  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith  alone  without  works,  the 
same  ignoring  of  the  depths  of  natural  de- 
pravity, the  same  exaltation  of  human  strength 
and  merit,  the  same  figment  of  human  prepara- 
tion for  God's  Grace,  the  same  confounding 
of  the  fruits  of  faith  with  the  conditions  of 
faith,  the  same  aversion  to  the  careful  study 
of  God's  Word,  the  same  indifference  to  sound 
doctrine,   and  the   same   substitution   of   sub- 


MODERN  REVIVALS  233 

jective  frames  of  mind  and  forms  of  experi- 
ence for  the  great  objective  facts  of  Christian-^ 
ity,  as  the  grounds  of  God's  favor. 

''In  both  cases,  all  spiritual  strength,  which 
is  inseparable  from  complete  dependence 
solely  upon  the  Word  and  promise  of  God, 
and  not  in  any  way  upon  human  sensations 
and  preparations,  is  either  withheld,  des- 
troyed, or  greatly  hindered;  and  uncertainty 
and  vacillation,  despair,  infidelity  and  ruin, 
often  end  the  sad  story  of  those  who  are  thus 
left  without  any  firm  support  amidst  the  trials 
of  life,  and  under  the  strokes  of  God's  judg- 
ments. 

''The  same  Church  which  in  the  days  of  the 
Reformation  raised  her  voice  against  these  er- 
rors, when  she  found  the  entire  life  of  Chris- 
tianity endangered  by  them,  can  be  silent  in 
the  present  hour,  when  the  same  errors  appear 
all  around  her,  only  by  betraying  her  trust,  and 
incurring  the  guilt  of  the  faithless  watchman 
who  fails  to  give  alarm." 

Let  us  hear  also  the  testimony  of  our  late 
lamented  Dr.  Krauth.  He  says,  as  quoted  by 
Rev.  Trabert :  ' '  How  often  are  the  urging  that 
we  are  all  one,  the  holding  of  union  meetings, 
the  effusive  rapture  of  all-forgiving,  all-for- 
getting, all-embracing  love,  the  preliminary  to 
the  meanest  sectarian  tricks,  dividing  congre- 
gations, tearing  families  to  pieces,  and  luring 


234  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

away  the  unstable.  The  short  millennium  of 
such  love  is  followed  by  the  fresh  loosing  of 
the  Satan  of  malevolence  out  of  his  prison,  and 
the  clashing  in  battle  of  the  Gog  and  Magog  of 
sectarian  rivalry.  There  is  no  surer  prepara- 
tion for  bitter  strife,  heart-burnings,  and 
hatred,  than  these  pseudo  unionistic  combina- 
tions. One  union  revival  has  torn  religious 
communities  into  hateful  divisions  which  have 
never  been  healed.  .  .  .  And  none  have 
suffered  so  much  by  these  arts,  as  our  Lutheran 
people,  who,  free  from  guile  themselves,  did  not 
suspect  it  in  others.  Well  might  we  ask  with 
the  'Apology:'  'Are  they  not  ashamed  to  talk 
in  such  terms  of  love,  and  preach  love,  and  cry 
love,  and  do  everything  but  practice  loveT  " 

In  conclusion  we  wish  to  present  the  testi- 
mony of  some  of  the  most  eminent  divines  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Of  all  others 
they  will  certainly  not  be  accused  of  being 
prejudiced  against  modern  revivals.  And  of 
all  modern  revivals,  those  conducted  by  the 
Evangelists,  Moody  and  Sankey,  were  probably 
the  least  objectionable. 

At  the  close  of  the  celebrated  ''Hippodrome 
revival,"  in  New  York  City,  conducted  by 
Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey,  in  the  spring  of 
1876,  the  Methodist  Episcopal  ministers,  at  a 
stated  meeting,  reviewed  the  revival  and  its 
results.     The  New  York  Herald  gave  the  fol- 


MODERN  REVIVALS  235 

lowing  account  of  their  meeting,  which  we  copy 
from  Rev.  Trabert's  tract:  ''The  Methodist 
ministers  had  under  consideration  the  question 
of  the  value  of  special  evangelistic  efforts  in 
regular  Church  work,  with  particular  reference 
to  the  number  of  Hippodrome  converts  who 
may  have  united  with  their  churches.  For  two 
weeks  a  member  of  the  Hippodrome  committee 
had  distributed  cards  to  the  preachers  with  the 
names  of  persons  who  declared  themselves  con- 
vert's of  Mr.  Moody's  meetings.  Four  thous- 
and had  been  reported  as  the  fruits  of  the  ten 
weeks  special  effort.  Ten  thousand  inquirers 
had  been  reported. 

''Dr.  Robert  Crook  took  the  ground  that 
special  evangelistic  agencies  are  not  necessary, 
and  that  the  work  is  more  permanent  and  suc- 
cessful when  performed  through  the  regular 
church  channels.  Rev.  J.  Selleck,  of  Lexington 
avenue  church,  had  sent  about  sixty  of  his  mem- 
bers as  singers  and  ushers,  and  had  not  only 
received  not  a  single  convert  from  that  place 
into  his  church,  but  had  been  unable  to  gather 
in  the  members  he  gave  them,  who  were  still 
running  here  and  there  after  sensations !  Rev. 
J.  F.  Richmond  had  received  a  number  of  cards, 
and  could  report  two  or  three  converts  who 
would  unite  with  his  church,  but  in  connection 
with  Hope  Chapel  he  had  not  much  success.  He 
had  gone  to  five  places  indicated  on  the  cards 


236  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

as  residences  of  converts,  but  could  find  none 
of  them.  This  was  his  experience  also  with 
many  others  whom  he  had  sought  out.  Eev. 
Jolm  Jones  had  received  many  cards,  and  had 
found  out  some  direct  frauds,  and  many  others 
nearly  so.  He  did  discover  eight  persons  con- 
verted at  Mr.  Moody's  meetings,  six  of  whom 
would  unite  with  his  church.  Rev.  C.  G.  Goss 
did  not  think  any  one  effort  or  kind  of  effort 
was  going  to  convert  the  world.  We  could  not 
measure  religious  efforts  by  financial  or  nu- 
merical measurements.  As  to  the  general 
question,  he  had  the  history  of  ten  city  churches 
always  known  as  revival  churches.  In  1869 
they  had  reported  one  hundred  probationers 
each.  In  1870  they  reported  a  net  loss  of  five 
hundred,  making,  with  the  probationers  re- 
ported, a  loss  of  fifteen  hundred  in  one  year,  in 
ten  churches. 

''Bedford  street  church  was  an  example  of 
a  revival  church:  St.  Paul's  the  opposite. 
The  former  reported,  in  twenty  years,  twenty- 
five  hundred  probationers.  But  the  increase 
of  her  membership  to  that  period  was  only 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight.  He  could  not 
account  for  this.  On  the  other  hand,  St.  Paul's 
reported  four  hundred  and  forty-eight  proba- 
tioners, for  twenty-five  years,  and  her  increase 
in  membership  has  been  two  hundred  and 
eighty-six.  This  was  to  him  an  argument  in 
favor  of  regular  church  work.'* 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Revivals — The  Billy  Sunday  Type 

IN  the  preceding  chapters  we  discussed  the 
more  old-fashioned  revivals,  as  they  were 
gotten  up  and  carried  on  in  the  more  emotional 
Churches,  especially  in  the  smaller  towns  and 
in  the  open  country,  as  well  as  the  great,  well 
organized,  professional  revivals  of  which  the 
Moody  and  Sankey  movements  were  the  most 
conspicuous. 

They  had  many  imitators,  such  as  the  Chap- 
man-Alexander, the  Gypsy  Smith  and  other 
campaigns.  The  objections  written  down  above 
deal  with  this  older  type  of  revivalism.  The 
objections  are  just  as  valid  against  the  newer 
type  so  widely  in  vogue  as  we  send  forth  this 
new  revision  of  The  Way  of  Salvation. 

The  Billy  Sunday  revival,  with  its  multitude 
of  weak  imitations,  that  set  up  their  temporary 
tabernacles  in  city,  town  and  village  the  land 
over,  must  also  be  discussed.  In  addition  to 
the  above  objections  there  are  even  more 
serious  ones  against  this  latest  type. 

It  has  all  the  weaknesses  of  the  older  kind 
237 


238  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

mentioned  above.  Too  often  it  lacks  the  down- 
right earnestness,  the  consuming,  unselfish, 
self-sacrificing  zeal  of  the  older  movements. 
While  we  objected  seriously  to  what  Moody 
and  his  followers  left  out,  to  the  superficial  and 
emotional  appeals  and  methods,  we  could  not 
doubt  the  deep  sincerity  and  the  soul-consecra- 
tion of  Dwight  L.  Moody  and  those  who  were 
like  him.  Personally,  both  in  his  private  and 
his  public  life  he  exemplified  the  life  that  is  hid 
with  God  in  Christ.  We  often  wished  that  we 
might  be  as  good  and  as  godly  as  Moody  was. 
As  to  Billy  Sunday.  Insofar  as  he  fearlessly 
proclaims  the  terrors  of  the  Law  against  sin 
and  against  sinners,  denouncing  unsparingly 
the  sins  of  the  rich  and  great,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  common  herd,  we  are  glad  for  this  voice 
in  the  wilderness.  Insofar  as  he  plainly 
preaches  the  need  of  heartfelt  repentance  that 
is  evidenced  by  bringing  forth  its  proper  fruits, 
the  absolute  need  of  faith  in  the  vicarious 
atonement  of  the  God-Man  Christ  Jesus,  the 
absolute  need  of  renewal  by  the  third  Person 
in  the  Trinity,  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  inspiration, 
inerrancy  and  divine  authority  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, we  rejoice  in  his  sledgehammer  blows 
against  the  high-headed,  pompous  and  empty 
rationalism  and  liberalism  of  the  day.  Inasfar 
as  he  scores,  scouts  and  flays  the  saloon  and  all 
its  disgusting  spawn,  impurity  in  high  and  in 


REVIVALS BILLY   SUNDAY  TYPE  239 

lovT  places,  hypocrisy  in  pulpit  and  in  pew  and 
shoddy  pretentiousness  wherever  found,  we  say 
Amen. 

Inasfar  as  he  mercilessly  exposes  and  ex- 
coriates the  shallowness,  the  sham  and  the 
fraud  of  modern  substitutes  for  Christianity 
and  their  empty-headed  dupes,  we  glory  in  his 
demolishments.  We  appreciate  truth  wherever 
we  find  it.  We  do  not  condemn  the  good  with 
the  bad.  Neither  are  we  ready  to  deny  that 
any  good  comes  out  of  these  Sunday  campaigns. 

But  all  this  does  not  make  us  shut  onr  eyes 
to  the  glaring  faults  of  Sunday  and  his  cheaper 
imitators.  His  ridiculing  and  condemning  of 
the  rank  and  file  of  preachers  and  Churches — 
especially  of  those  who  do  not  agree  with  him. 
His  ignoring  and  belittling  of  the  Sacraments 
and  of  Catechisation,  his  shocking,  irreverent 
manner  of  handling  the  Word  of  God,  of  the 
Bible  characters,  of  the  name  of  God  and  of 
Christ;  his  profane  prayers  and  his  whole  un- 
dignified and  clownish  demeanor  while  preach- 
ing or  praying,  all  this  we  deplore  and  abhor. 
By  all  this  he  wounds  the  blessed  Christ  in  the 
house  of  His  friends  and  brings  the  holy  and 
the  divine  into  contempt.  By  these  rude  and 
glaring  faults,  he  encourages  irreverence  and 
sacrilege,  cheapens  and  casts  contempt  on  all 
that  is  holy  and  does  untold  damage  to  the  re- 
ceptive souls  before  him. 


240  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

The  whole  conduct  of  his  meetings  is  low 
and  vulgar.  The  cheap  jokes  from  the  plat- 
form, the  boisterous  laughing,  clapping  of 
hands,  waving  of  hats  and  shouting,  are  all 
more  befitting  to  the  cheap  show  than  to  a  re- 
ligious service. 

The  singing,  which  ought  to  be  worship,  is  all 
too  often  a  vaudeville.  The  clownish  leader's 
aim  seems  to  be  chiefly  to  call  forth  bursts  of 
laughters  and  applause.  The  songs  are  often 
the  veriest  doggerel.  The  showing  off  of  the 
choir  against  the  audience,  of  the  men  against 
the  women,  and  vice  versa,  the  grotesque  at- 
tempts of  the  men — and  sometimes  of  the  wo- 
men— to  whistle  the  air,  the  ridiculous  apings 
of  the  leader,  all  shot  through  with  shouting 
hilariousness — all  this  is  certainly  not  condu- 
cive to  worship  or  to  bringing  souls  to  an  in- 
telligent, a  thoughtful,  a  serious  repenting  for 
sin  and  a  clear,  believing  acceptance  of  Christ. 
How  intelligent  Christians  can  accept  and  en- 
dorse such  a  burlesque  of  worship  passes  our 
understanding. 

And  finally  we  cannot  help  but  mention  the 
financial  side  of  this  modern  revival  business. 
Billy  Sunday  is  reported  to  be  getting  im- 
mensely rich.  The  Literary  Digest  of  April  3, 
1915,  published  a  photograph  of  a  check  for 
$51,136.85  made  out  to  Billy  Sunday  for  his 
services  of  a  few  weeks  in  Philadelphia.    The 


REVIVAJLS — BILLY  SUNDAY  TYPE  241 

same  paper  figures  out  that  for  twenty-one 
short  engagements  the  thrifty  evangelist  re- 
ceived $346,665.91.  Does  not  this  look  like 
making  gain  out  of  godliness?  We  leave  it  to 
the  reader. 

We  are  sorry  to  make  these  strictures  on 
modern  evangelism.  We  sincerely  wish  it  were 
not  necessary.  Our  heart's  desire  is  that  all 
evangelistic  effort  might  be  such  as  will  bear 
the  searchlight  of  the  divine  Word.  Then 
would  we  gladly  endorse  it  and  cooperate  with 
all  our  powers.  But  we  must  prove  all  and  hold 
fast  the  good  only. 


CHAPTER  XXVni. 
True  Revivals. 

IN  the  preceding  pages  we  have  seen  that  the 
Church  ought  constantly  to  aim  at  keeping 
up  such  a  state  of  spiritual  life  as  to  render  re- 
vivals unnecessary. 

We  have  also  admitted  that,  owing  to  human 
infirmity,  carelessness,  and  neglect  of  a  proper 
and  prayerful  use  of  the  means  of  grace,  the 
spiritual  life  will  ofttimes  languish  in  individ- 
uals, in  families,  in  congregations  and  commun- 
ities; and  that,  at  such  times,  a  spiritual 
awakening  or  refreshing  is  necessary. 

We  have  further  shown,  that  the  modern  re- 
vival system  is  unscriptural  and  positively  in- 
jurious in  its  consequences,  and  therefore  can- 
not be  regarded  or  adopted  as  a  part  of  God's 
Way  of  Salvation.  What  then  is  to  be  done 
when  a  revival  is  really  needed.  What  sort  of  a 
revival  shall  be  longed  for,  prayed  for,  and 
labored  for? 

In  the  first  place,  let  there  be  a  revival  in 
each  individual  heart.  Let  there  be  an  earnest 
and  prayerful  return  to  the  neglected  Word. 

242 


TRUE  REVIVALS 


24c 


Let  there  be  a  devout  reading  and  meditation  of 
the  Law  of  God,  an  earnest,  persevering  search- 
ing of  the  heart  and  life  in  the  light  of  that  law, 
until  there  is  a  feeling  of  guilt  and  shame.  Then 
let  there  be  a  prayerful  reading  and  re-reading 
of  the  Penitential  Psalms,  the  seventh  chapter 
of  Romans,  the  fifty-third  of  Isaiah,  the  fif- 
teenth of  Luke,  the  fifth  and  eighth  of  Romans, 
and  the  epistles  of  John.  Along  with  this  pri- 
vate use  of  the  divine  Word,  let  there  be  a  like 
prayerful  public  use.  In  case  of  perplexity  and 
doubt,  let  there  be  an  unburdening  before  the 
pastor,  with  a  request  for  instruction  and 
prayer.  This  process  will  bring  about  penitence 
for  sin  and  faith  in  Christ.  Let  it  continue  to 
be  a  daily  dying  unto  sin,  a  daily  living  unto 
righteousness,  a  daily  putting  off  the  old  man, 
a  daily  putting  on  the  new  man — a  daily  repent- 
ance for  sin,  and  a  daily  turning  to  and  laying 
hold  of  Christ.  Such  a  revival  is  Scriptural 
and  efficacious.  It  will  not  only  put  an  end  to 
the  languor  and  deadness  of  the  past,  but  it  will 
preclude  the  necessity  of  future  periodic  ex- 
citements. 

Along  with  this  individual  reviving,  let  there 
be  an  earnest  praying  and  striving  for  a  re- 
viving in  the  whole  congregation  of  a  life  that 
may  abide.  Let  every  service  in  God's  house 
be  a  revival  service.  Let  each  worshiper  be  a 
mourner  over  his  sins,  each  pew  an  anxious 


244  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

seat.  To  this  end  let  tlie  preaching  of  the 
Word  be  plain  and  direct.  Let  it  be  full  of 
"repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  Where  hearts  are  not  wilfully 
closed  against  such  preaching  of  'Hhe  truth  as 
it  is  in  Jesus,"  they  will,  through  its  power, 
become  "broken  and  contrite  hearts,"  from 
which  will  arise  earnest  pleadings  for  forgive- 
ness and  acceptance.  Faith  will  come  and  grow 
by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God. 
Where  the  Word  is  truly  preached  and  rightly 
heard,  there  will  be  a  constant  and  scriptural 
revival.  Each  service  will  he  "a  time  of  re- 
freshing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

In  addition  to  the  regular  weekly  service,  the 
Church  also  has  her  stated  communion  seasons. 
These,  if  rightly  improved  by  pastor  and  peo- 
ple, can  be  made  still  richer  seasons  of  grace. 

In  our  Lutheran  Church,  with  her  deep,  sig- 
nificant and  inspiring  doctrine  of  this  holy 
Sacrament,  with  her  solemn  and  searching  pre- 
paratory service,  every  such  season  ought  to  be 
a  time  of  refreshing.  What  an  auspicious  op- 
portunity is  here  offered  for  special  sermons  to 
precede  the  Holy  Communion,  for  recalling  the 
wanderer,  awaking  the  drowsy,  and  establish- 
ing the  doubting!  What  pastor,  who  has  a 
Christ-like  interest  in  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
his  people,  and  who  has  used  his  communion 
seasons  to  this  end,  has  not  often  realized  that 


TEUE  REVIVALS  245 

they  are  indeed  times  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord? 

These  communion  seasons  become  still  more 
effective  and  valuable  when  they  come,  as  they 
generally  do  in  our  Lutheran  Church,  in  con- 
nection with  our  great  Church  Festivals.  Our 
Church  has  wisely  held  on  to  these  great  his- 
toric feasts.  They  have  from  the  earliest  times 
been  the  Church's  true  revival  seasons.  Church 
historians  inform  us  that  during  the  age  im- 
mediately succeeding  the  time  of  the  Apostles, 
when  the  Church  was  still  comparatively  pure 
and  fervently  devout,  these  festival  seasons 
were  the  real  high-days,  the  crowning  days  of 
the  year.  On  these  occasions  the  Word  was 
preached  with  more  than  ordinary  power,  and 
the  Sacraments  were  dispensed  with  unusual 
solemnity.  Then  the  churches  were  filled  to 
overflowing.  A  solemn  stillness  reigned  over 
city  and  country.  Wordly  cares  and  pleasures 
were  laid  aside,  and  the  great  saving  facts  of 
the  Gospel  then  commemorated  were  the  all-ab- 
sorbing theme.  At  such  times,  even  the  wordly 
and  careless  felt  an  almost  irresistible  impulse 
to  follow  the  happy  Christian  crowd  to  the 
house  of  God.  Multitudes  of  sinners  were  con- 
verted and  gathered  into  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ,  while  saints  were  strengthened  and  built 
up  in  their  holy  faith. 

Thus  these  festival  communion  seasons  were 


246  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

true  revival  seasons.  And  wlay  should  it  not  be 
so  now!  What  can  be  more  inspiring  and  im- 
pressive than  these  great  facts  which  our 
church  festivals  commemorate?  If  the  solemn 
warnings  of  the  Advent  season,  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  Christmas  season,  the  touching  and 
searching  lessons  of  the  Lenten  season,  the 
holy,  inspiring  joyousness  of  the  Easter  season, 
or  the  instructive  admonitions  of  the  Pente- 
costal season,  will  not  attract  and  move  and 
edify  the  hearts  of  men,  what  will? 

What  has  the  radical  part  of  the  Church 
gained  by  setting  aside  these  seasons,  hallowed 
by  the  use  of  Christ,  His  apostles  and  martyrs, 
the  Church  Fathers  and  Reformers?  Is  the 
modern  revival  system  or  the  Week  of 
Prayer  arrangement  an  improvement?  Can 
any  modern  self-appointed  committee  get  up  a 
better  and  more  effective  program  than  our 
historic  Holy  Week  services,  crowned  with  its 
Easter  communion  ?  Assuredly  no !  There  can 
be  no  new  *' program,"  however  broad  or  spicy, 
that  can  be  adapted  to  bless  the  saint  and  sin- 
ner, like  our  old  order,  following  the  dear 
Saviour,  step  by  step,  on  his  weary  way  to  the 
cross  and  tomb,  and  thus  preaching  Christ 
crucified  for,  at  least,  one  whole  week  in  a  year. 
Though  there  may  be  progressive  Greeks  to- 
day to  whom  this  preaching  of  Christ  Crucified 
is  ''foolishness,"  or  materialistic  Jews  to  whom 


TRUE  REVIVALS  247 

it  is  ''di  stumblinghlock/ '  we  know  it  is  still  the 
'power  of  God  and  the  ivisdom  of  God  to  all  who 
believe.  We  know  that  there  can  be  nothing  so 
truly  promotive  of  genuine  piety,  so  well 
adapted  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  and  the 
sanctifying  of  believers  as  this  preaching  of 
the  cross.  We  do  not  wonder,  therefore,  that, 
after  a  comparatively  short  experience  in  the 
new  way,  earnest  voices  are  being  raised,  in 
quarters,  whence  a  few  years  ago  came  nothing 
but  ridicule  of  Lenten  services,  pleading  for  the 
old  historic  Holy  Week,  instead  of  the  new 
Week  of  Prayer.  Not  that  we  object  to  a  week 
of  prayer.  We  only  object  to  the  substitution 
of  this  modern  week,  with  its  diversified  pro- 
gram, for  the  old  week  with  its  bible  passion 
lessons. 

Thus  then  we  see  that  there  is  abundant  pro- 
vision and  opportunity  for  special  seasons  of 
awakening  and  refreshing,  by  following  the 
regular  Church  Year. 

We  would  not,  however,  claim  that,  in  the 
present  state  of  affairs,  on  account  of  a  lack 
of  proper  understanding  and  churchliness  and 
because  of  the  unconscious  influence  of  popular 
notions,  there  is  no  need,  occasion,  and  oppor- 
tunity for  still  more  marked  and  general 
awakenings.  The  word  of  God  speaks  of 
"times  of  visitation,**  "times  of  refreshing/* 
an  "accepted  time/'  a  "day  of  salvation/* 


248  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

*'thy  day.'*  There  are  times  and  seasons 
when  the  good  Lord  draws  especially  near  to 
sinners  to  convert  and  save  them;  times  when 
His  Spirit  manifests  Himself  more  fully  in  the 
Church  than  at  other  times.  In  His  own  wise 
Providence  He  brings  about  and  prepares  the 
Church  for  such  times.  Thus,  when,  from  causes 
noted  above,  the  Church  grows  cold  and  lan- 
guid. He  sends  afflictions  of  various  kinds,  when 
people  are  made  to  realize  the  uncertainty  and 
unsatisfactoriness  of  the  affairs  of  this  life; 
when  by  losses,  diseases,  bereavements,  or  bit- 
ter disappointments,  God  seeks  to  wean  them 
from  their  worldly  idols.  Then  He  brings  them 
to  reflection.  They  ''come  to  themselves.*'  They 
are  ready  to  recall  and  hear  the  Father  *s  voice. 
They  are  willing  to  hear  the  long  neglected 
Word.  They  go  to  the  house  of  God.  They 
listen  eagerly.  The  Word  finds  free  course. 
There  is  no  wilful  resistance.  The  Word  drops 
as  the  rain  and  distils  as  the  dew.  It  does  not 
return  void. 

If  now  the  pastors  and  people  know  this 
''time  of  visitation,**  if  they  realize  that  it  is 
a  "time  of  refreshing  from  the  Lord**  not  got- 
ten up  by  human  expedients,  they  will  quickly 
respond  to  these  gracious  indications.  Whether 
such  times  come  in  connection  with  the  com- 
munion and  festival  seasons  or  not,  special 
provision   ought   to  be   made   to   gather   the 


TRUE  REVIVALS  249 

quickly  ripening  harvest.  It  is  sometimes  well 
to  make  provision  for  special  services.  There 
may  be  a  series  of  special  sermons.  The 
preaching  must  be,  above  all  things,  instructive, 
a  plain  and  direct  setting  forth  of  the  Way  of 
Salvation.  The  appeal  must  be  first  of  all  to 
the  understanding,  and  through  it  to  the  heart. 
The  exhortations  and  invitations  must  be  based 
on  and  grow  out  of  these  instructions.  The 
great  themes  of  sin  and  Grace,  and  the  applica- 
tion and  reception  of  Grace,  should  be  set  forth 
with  all  possible  simplicity  and  earnestness. 

This  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  instruction 
in  the  way  of  life  should  not  be  confined  to  the 
pulpit.  The  wise  pastor  will  give  opportunity 
for  all  inquirers  to  meet  him  privately,  or  will 
seek  them  out  to  tell  them  the  way  of  God,  as 
it  relates  to  each  individual  case,  still  more 
plainly.  This  will  be  a  true  revival.  Only  let 
the  churches  discern  and  use  the  times,  when 
''Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth  by." 

Every  faithful,  earnest  pastor,  if  he  cannot 
always  have  living,  earnest  and  consecrated 
churches,  can  have  such  seasons  of  refreshing 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord.  Every  such 
pastor  in  looking  back  over  a  reasonable  period 
of  service  can  point  to  such  precious  seasons  in 
his  ministry.  Such  seasons  result  in  a  growth 
of  true  Church  life.  The  means  of  Grace,  after 
such  revivals,  are  more  diligently  and  more 


250  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

prayerfullly  used  than  before.  The  Word  of 
God  and  prayer  take  their  proper  place  in  the 
home.  The  church  in  the  house  is  quickened 
into  life  and  activity.  There  is  increased 
liberality  in  the  congregation.  The  pocket-book 
is  converted  as  well  as  the  heart.  There  is  a 
revival  of  strict  honesty  and  truthfulness  in 
all  business  affairs.  All  tricks  of  trade,  decep- 
tions, imposing  on  ignorance,  short  weights  and 
measures,  adulterations,  making  money  by  bet- 
ting, taking  or  giving  chances  of  any  kind, 
everything  in  fact  that  is  questionable,  if  not 
openly  dishonest,  is  abolished. 

Wordly  companionship,  questionable  amuse- 
ments, pleasures  that  draw  the  heart  away 
from  God,  are  avoided.  Eeligion  is  not  only  a 
Sunday  garment,  but  a  living  force  that  shows 
itself  in  every  department  of  life.  The  world 
takes  knowledge  of  true  converts  that  they  have 
been  with  Jesus  and  learned  of  Him.  Such  are 
the  results  of  a  true  revival.  In  such  we 
believe. 

This  chapter,  together  with  the  others  on 
Eevivals,  as  they  are  found  in  former  editions 
of  The  Way  of  Salvation,  was  written  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  Every  word 
as  it  was  then  written  is  still  true. 

The  old  objections  against  false  revivalism 
hold  to-day.     But,  as  noted  above,  revivalism 


TRUE  REVIVALS  251 

has  taken  new  forms  and  these  call  forth  new 
cautions  and  new  objections. 

Times  also  change.  Worldliness  is  wilder 
than  ever;  greed  for  gold  is  keener  than  ever. 
Temptations  are  more  multiform  and  more 
fierce  than  ever.  These  are  the  times  that  try- 
men  's  souls.    The  love  of  many  is  waxing  cold. 

Rationalism,  liberalism,  unbelief  and  mis- 
belief are  taking  on  new  forms.  False  Christs, 
false  prophets,  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  se- 
ducing spirits  in  the  guise  of  angels  of  light 
are  abroad  in  every  nook  and  corner  of  the 
land.  Their  bold  assertions,  insinuating  slan- 
ders, scientific  sophisms,  seemingly  scholarly 
arguments  against  revelation  and  against  re- 
vealed truth,  sugar-coated  heresies,  all  backed 
up  by  organizations,  associations  and  names 
that  carry  weight  in  circles  of  culture  are  in- 
deed calculated  to  deceive  the  very  elect. 

Satan  is  seemingly  winning  out.  The  propor- 
tion of  men  earnestly  loyal  to  the  Church  is 
said  to  be  growing  smaller  from  year  to  year. 
A  spirit  of  panic  has  taken  hold  of  many  parts 
of  the  Church  itself.  In  various  quarters  the 
old,  unpalatable,  humiliating  truths  of  the  di- 
vine Word  are  toned  down  more  and  more — 
until  there  is  little  left  in  the  professedly  Chris- 
tian messages  of  the  pulpit  and  the  Church- 
press  to  which  the  easy  going  and  impenitent 
worldling  could  object.    The  prophets  are  pro- 


252  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

phesying  smooth  things.  They  are  unto  them 
that  hear  like  a  lovely  voice  and  like  one  that 
can  play  well  on  an  instrument.  The  teaching  of 
God's  Law,  of  His  holy  wrath  against  sin  and 
nnbelief,  of  judgment  and  righteous  retribution 
in  the  world  to  come,  is  slurred  over,  silenced 
and  denied  as  unworthy  of  consideration  in  this 
enlightened  age.  And  so  souls  are  rocked  into 
a  deeper  sleep  of  self-security  in  sin. 

In  more  earnest  circles  in  the  church  the  in- 
coming flood  of  worldliness  and  unbelief  is 
deeply  deplored  and  there  is  a  nervous  convic- 
tion that  something  must  be  done  to  stem  the 
dangerous  tide  and  save  the  ship  of  the  Church 
from  going  down.  These  fearsome  souls  plan 
for,  pray  for  and  are  willing  for  any  kind  of 
an  evangelistic  revival  that  promises  relief. 
Shall  we  blame  them? 

What  of  us  Lutherans?  Our  people  are 
made  of  the  same  clay  as  others.  They  have 
the  same  human  heart,  deceitful  above  all  things 
and  desperately  wicked.  They  are  by  no  means 
immune  to  the  danger  of  the  spirit  of  the  age. 

We  have  been  in  the  habit  of  boasting  of  our 
progress.  With  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
Lutherans  coming  into  our  land  from  the 
old  world  every  year,  why  shouldn't  we  grow 
even  in  spite  of  our  many  losses  at  home. 
But  now  the  Lutheran  immigration  has  prac- 
tically ceased.    What  proportion  of  those  who 


TBUE  BEVIVALS  253 

came  over  in  our  good  years  have  we  gathered 
into  our  local  congregations?  How  many 
are  the  ungathered  Lutherans  all  around 
us?  And  what  about  the  thousands  of  other 
unchurched  and  unsaved  souls  living  and  dying 
under  the  very  shadow  of  our  churches  ?  And 
what  of  the  spiritual  life  in  our  congregations? 
How  does  it  compare  with  the  life  in  the  con- 
gregations planted  and  pastored  by  the  early 
fathers  from  Halle,  who  in  the  providence  of 
God  founded  the  Lutheran  Church  on  our 
shores?  Are  not  the  blight  and  frost  of  our 
age  upon  us  also?  Do  not  our  congregations 
need  an  awakening?  Does  not  the  whole  Lu- 
theran Church  need  to  be  revived? 

Has  our  great  church  no  responsibility  for 
the  heathen  in  America?  Have  we  no  share  in 
halting  the  heathenizing  of  our  cities  and  our 
soil?  If  special  efforts  are  needed  to  save  the 
souls  and  so  to  save  the  cities  and  the  common- 
wealths are  we  to  sit  by  idly  and  criticise  what 
others  are  doing?  ''Is  it  nothing  to  you  that 
these  all  pass  hyf 

No,  no.  We  too  must  do  our  part  to  save  our 
churches  and  our  communities ;  to  save  America. 
We  claim  that  we  have  a  purer,  a  more  con- 
sistently scriptural  theology  than  others.  And 
if  this  book  is  true  our  claim  is  right.  There- 
fore we  have  a  better  message  than  others.  To 
whomsoever  much  is  given  of  him  will  much  he 


254  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION" 

required.  Ours  is  the  greater  responsibility. 
We  need  to  preach  better.  Our  sermons  must 
awaken  the  spiritually  drowsy  and  dead.  We 
must  expect  conversions.  We  need  to  be  alive, 
aflame  with  love  for  Christ  and  for  the  souls 
He  has  redeemed.  We  must  pray  more.  Thus 
can  we  have  constant  revival,  constant  quicken- 
ing and  refreshing  in  our  churches.  So  will 
our  congregations  become  praying  churches. 
Mi/  House  shall  he  called  a  house  of  prayer  * 

And  then  to  reach  as  many  as  we  can  of  the 
unsaved  masses,  let  us  not  be  afraid  to  take 
our  good  message  to  them  where  they  are, 
preaching,  as  true  soul  seekers,  from  house  to 
house,  but  also  preaching  in  all  public  places, 
out  of  doors,  wherever  we  can  get  a  hearing. 
Let  us  not  be  afraid  to  take  our  singers,  our 
grip-organs,  our  cornetists  and  our  flute-players 
with  us;  sing  what  the  people  can  sing  and 
bring  to  the  hearers  a  warm,  gripping,  instruc- 
tive, inviting  message  from  God. 

At  auspicious  seasons  let  us  have  a  succession 
of  services  in  our  churches.  Let  us  not  hesitate 
to  use  the  press  and  the  printed  hand-bill  and 
if  need  be  to  get  the  best  preacher  possible  to 
assist,  and  so  let  us  make  the  services  popular 
and  attractive  with  the  very  best  music  and  then 
go  after  souls  with  the  living  and  life-giving 

*  See  Problems  and  PossMUties,  Chapters  on  "The  Need 
of  a  Deeper  Spiritual  Life.". 


TRUE  REVIVALS  255 

word.  Let  there  be  invitation  and  opportunity 
for  private  interviews  with  the  pastor.  Let 
there  be  pressing  invitations,  both  private  and 
public  for  all  to  join  Adult  Bible  and  Catecheti- 
cal classes. 

Here  is  an  evangelistic  agency  that  our 
church  ought  to  use  everywhere  and  uses  all 
to  rarely.  With  our  view  of  what  the  Bible  is 
and  what  the  spirit  does  through  it,  we  cer- 
tainly ought  to  be  the  strongest  advocates  of 
Adult  Bible  classes.  Are  we?  We  ought  to 
have  the  largest  classes.  Do  we?  If  not,  why 
not?  Here  is  a  divine  agency  for  wooing  the 
sinner  with  the  Word,  and  for  teaching  the 
way  of  Grod  more  clearly. 

In  these  classes  the  teacher  ought  not  to 
preach.  These  ought  to  be  frank  and  free  con- 
ferences, where  all  can  confer  with  each  other, 
where  everyone  may  unload  his  questions,  his 
objections  and  his  doubts ;  where  everyone  may 
ask  for  more  information  and  for  further  light. 
With  the  right  teacher  such  Bible  classes  can 
become  powerful  agencies  for  the  winning  and 
edifying  of  souls,  as  well  as  for  training  church 
workers. 

For  the  unconfirmed  adults,  we  ought  to  have 
catechetical  classes  much  after  the  same  model 
as  the  Bible  classes.  The  adults  ought  not  to 
be  required  to  memorize  the  catechism  like  chil- 
dren.   The  great  truths  of  the  catechism  ought 


256  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

to  be  made  plain  and  ought  to  be  freely  dis- 
cussed. This,  too,  should  be  a  frank  and  free 
conferring  together  with  encouragement  for  the 
unloading  of  doubts  and  of  anything  that  may 
be  on  the  mind  of  anyone. 

All  the  members  of  the  church  ought  to  be 
constantly  instructed  and  urged  to  invite,  call 
for  and  bring  the  unchurched,  with  whom  they 
can  get  in  contact  during  the  week,  to  such 
Bible  and  catechetical  classes.  The  earnest 
pastor  will  be  most  happy  to  follow  up  such  in- 
vitations given  by  his  members.  We  know  of 
Lutheran  Churches  that  gain  most  of  their 
members  from  the  outside  through  these  agen- 
cies. 

It  may  be  well  to  have  a  blank  application 
card  to  be  signed  by  those  who  may  be  per- 
suaded to  come.* 

Again  we  ask ;  why  is  this  blessed  evangelistic 
agency  so  little  used  by  our  pastors?  Let  this 
be  the  new  evangelism  in  our  Lutheran 
Churches.  Where  rightly  used  God  will  as- 
suredly bless  it. 

Revive  Thy  work,  0  God  among  us.  In  the 
midst  of  the  years  revive  Thy  work. 

*  The  Author  of  this  Book  may  be  permitted  to  state 
that  many  pastors  have  used  it  with  good  effect  in  such 
classes. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Conclusion. 

WITH  this  chapter  we  conclude  our  studies 
of  the  Way  of  Salvation.  They  have  been 
extended  much  beyond  our  original  purpose.  As 
we  remarked  in  the  beginning,  we  have  written 
for  plain  people ;  for  those  who,  surrounded  by 
all  forms  and  varieties  of  belief,  unbelief,  and 
misbelief,  are  often  attacked,  questioned  and 
perplexed  as  to  their  faith,  and  their  reasons 
for  holding  it.  Our  object  has  been  to  assist 
our  unpretentious  people  always  to  be  ready  to 
give  an  answer  to  those  who  ask  a  reason  for 
the  hope  that  is  in  them. 

We  also  remarked  in  the  beginning  that  there 
often  come  to  our  people  arrogant  and  self- 
righteous  persons,  who  say  "the  Lutheran 
Church  has  no  religion,"  that  it  "does  not 
bring  its  members  into  the  light, ' '  and  does  not 
"believe  in  or  insist  on  personal  salvation." 

Unfortunately  there  are  only  too  many  Lu- 
therans who  do  not  know  how  to  answer  such 
bold  and  baseless  assertions.  Sometimes  they 
apologize  for  being  Lutherans,  and  timidly  hope 

257 


258  THE  WAY  or  SALVATIOIT 

that  they  still  may  find  salvation  even  in  their 
own  Church!  Many  also  have  been  persuaded 
to  abandon  the  Church  and  faith  of  their 
fathers  to  find  more  light  and  religion  else- 
where. After  having  been  wrought  upon  and 
strangely  affected  by  human  and  unscriptural 
methods,  after  they  have  experienced  some  new 
sensations,  they  proclaim  to  the  world  that  now 
they  have  found  the  light  which  they  could 
never  find  in  the  Lutheran  Church!  And  thus 
not  a  few  of  our  simple-minded  and  unreflect- 
ing people  are  led  to  depart  from  the  faith  and 
follow  strange  delusions. 

Our  people  need  to  be  better  informed  about 
their  own  Church.  When  they  come  to  under- 
stand what  that  Church  is,  and  what  she 
teaches,  they  will  be  "no  more  children,  tossed 
to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  hy  the  sleight  of  men  and  cunning 
craftiness  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive.'* 

It  is  to  assist  them  to  such  an  understanding 
and  appreciation  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
and  is  confessed  by  our  Church,  that  we  have 
written  these  pages.  If  they  have  strengthened 
any  who  are  weak  in  the  faith,  removed  any 
doubts  and  perplexities,  established  any  who 
wavered  and  made  anyone  love  the  Church  and 
her  great  Head  more,  we  are  more  than  repaid. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  effect  of  read- 
ing these  chapters,  the  writing  of  them  has  made 


CONCLUSION  259 

the  Church  of  the  Reformation,  her  faith  and 
practices,  more  precious  than  ever  to  the 
writer.  He  has  become  more  and  more  con- 
vinced that  what  Rome  stigmatized  as  "Lu- 
theranism"  is  nothing  else  than  the  pure  and 
simple  Gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ. 

Let  us  take  a  rapid  backward  glance.  We 
see  that  the  Lutheran  Church  grasps  fully  and 
accepts  unreservedly  the  whole  sad  and  unwel- 
come doctrine  of  sin.  She  believes  all  that  is 
written  as  to  the  deep-going  and  far-reaching 
consequences  of  sin — that  every  soul  comes  into 
this  world  infected  with  this  fearful  malady, 
and,  therefore,  unfit  for  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  under  condemnation.  She  believes  there- 
fore that  every  human  being,  down  to  the  young- 
est infant,  must  have  its  nature  changed  before 
it  can  be  saved.  The  necessity  of  this  change 
is  absolute  and  without  exception. 

In  the  very  beginning,  therefore,  we  see  that 
no  Church  places  the  necessity  of  personal  re- 
newal and  salvation  on  higher  ground  than  does 
the  Lutheran  Church.  She  believes  that  our 
blessed  Saviour  has  appointed  a  means,  a  chan- 
nel, a  vehicle,  by  and  through  which  His  Holy 
Spirit  conveys  renewing  Grace  to  the  heart  of 
the  tender  infant,  and  makes  it  a  lamb  of  His 
flock.  She  believes  that  where  Christ's  Sacra- 
ment of  holy  Baptism — which  is  the  means  re- 


260  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

ferred  to — does  not  reach  a  child,  His  Spirit 
can  and  will  reach  and  renew  it  in  some  way 
not  made  known  to  us. 

She  believes  that  the  beginning  of  the  new 
life  in  a  child  is  a  spiritual  birth;  that  this 
young  and  feeble  life  needs  nourishment  and 
fostering  care  for  its  healthy  development ;  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  Christian  parents  to  see  to  this ; 
that  the  Sunday-school  and  catechetical  class 
are  helps  offered  to  the  parents  by  the  Church. 
She  believes  that  by  this  nourishing  of  the  di- 
vine life  in  the  family  and  in  the  Church,  "with 
the  sincere  milk  of  God's  Word/'  the  baptismal 
covenant  can  be  kept  unbroken,  and  the  divine 
life  developed  and  increased  more  and  more. 

After  careful  instruction  in  the  home  and 
Church,  if  there  is  due  evidence  that  there  is 
grace  in  the  heart,  that  penitence  and  faith, 
which  are  the  elements  of  the  new  life,  are 
really  present,  she  admits  her  children  to  the 
communion  of  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  by 
the  beautiful  and  significant  rite  of  confirma- 
tion. 

The  scriptural  doctrine  of  Christ's  holy 
Sacrament  of  the  Altar,  which  our  Church  holds 
and  sets  forth,  and  the  solemn,  searching  pre- 
paratory service  which  she  connects  with  it, 
make  it  truly  calculated  to  strengthen  the  child 
of  God,  and  unite  him  closer  to  Christ. 

Our  Church  insists  that  the  whole  life  of  the 


CONCLUSION  261 

believer,  in  the  fellowship  of  the  Saviour  and 
of  His  people,  is  to  be  a  ^'groivth  in  Grace  and 
in  knowledge/'  In  this,  also  the  believer  is 
wonderfully  assisted  by  our  teachings  concern- 
ing the  efficacy  of  the  Word  of  God  as  a  means 
of  Grace,  a  vehicle  and  instrument  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  is  further  comforted  and  quickened 
by  that  precious  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  encouraged  to 
press  forward  to  the  mark,  to  purify  himself 
more  and  more,  to  become  more  and  more  ac- 
tive, earnest  and  consecrated  by  what  the 
Church  teaches  of  sanctification. 

Nor  does  the  Church  overlook  or  forget  the 
sad  fact  that  many — often  through  the  fault  of 
those  who  ought  to  be  their  spiritual  guides  in 
the  home  and  Church — lapse  from  their  bap- 
tismal covenant,  or  forget  their  confirmation 
vows,  and  thus  fall  back  into  an  impenitent 
state.  She  insists  on  the  absolute  necessity  of 
conversion  or  turning  back,  for  all  such.  She 
does  not,  however,  expend  all  her  energies  in 
proclaiming  its  necessity,  but  also  sets  forth 
and  makes  plain  the  nature  of  conversion,  and 
the  means  and  methods  of  bringing  it  about. 

While  the  Church  would,  first  of  all,  use  every 
endeavor  to  preclude  the  necessity  of  conver- 
sion, by  bringing  the  children  to  Jesus  that  He 
may  receive  and  bless  them  through  His  own 
sacrament;  and  while  she  would  use  all  dili- 


262  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

gence  and  watchfulness  to  keep  them  true  to 
Christ  in  their  baptismal  covenant,  yet,  when 
they  do  fall  away,  she  solemnly  assures  them 
that  except  they  repent  and  be  converted,  they 
will  eternally  perish. 

And  if  this  lamentable  backsliding  should 
take  place  more  or  less  with  a  large  portion  of 
a  congregation,  our  Church  prays  and  labors 
for  a  revival.  While  she  repudiates  and  abhors 
all  that  is  unscriptural,  and  therefore  danger- 
ous, in  the  modern  revival  system,  she  yet  ap- 
preciates and  gives  thanks  for  every  *  time  of 
refreshing  from  the  Lord.'' 

Yes,  the  Lutheran  Church  does  believe  in 
salvation,  in  the  absolute  necessity  of  its  per- 
sonal application,  and  in  eternal  perdition  to 
every  one  who  will  not  come  to  God  in  His  own 
way  of  salvation — through  Jesus  Christ. 

And  thus  the  Lutheran  system  is  a  complete 
system.  It  takes  in  everything  revealed  in  the 
Word.  It  teaches  to  observe  all  things  that 
Christ  has  commanded.  It  declares  the  whole 
counsel  of  God. 

The  Lutheran  Church  believes  in  a  Way  of 
being  saved.  She  has  a  positive  system  of  faith. 
Her  system  of  the  doctrines  and  methods  of 
Grace  is  a  complete,  a  consistent,  a  simple,  an 
attractive  one.  It  avoids  the  contradictions  and 
difficulties  of  other  ways  and  systems.  It  is 
thoroughly  loyal  to  God's  Word.     Where  it 


CONCLUSION 


263 


differs  from  other  systems  and  faiths,  it  is  be- 
cause it  abides  by  and  bows  to  what  is  written, 
while  others  depart  from  and  change  the  record 
to  suit  their  reasons.  It  gives  all  the  glory  of 
salvation  to  God.  It  throws  all  the  responsi- 
bility of  being  saved  on  man.  It  is  indeed  the 
highway  of  the  Lord,  where  the  redeemed  can 
walk  in  safety  and  in  joy.  It  is  the  old  path, 
the  good  Way  wherein  men  can  find  rest  unto 
their  souls.  It  is  the  Way  trodden  by  Patri- 
archs, Prophets,  and  ancient  servants  of  God. 
It  is  the  Way  of  the  Apostles,  and  Martyrs, 
and  Confessors  of  the  early  Church— the  Way 
that  became  obscured  and  almost  hidden  during 
the  dark  ages.  It  is  the  Way  for  the  bringing 
to  light  and  re-opening  of  which  God  raised  up 
Martin  Luther. 

Yes,  the  nominally  Christian  Church  had 
largely  lost  that  Way.  God  wanted  to  put  her 
right  again.  For  this  purpose  He  raised  up  the 
great  Eeformer.  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  be- 
lieve that  He  would  lead  him  and  guide  him  and 
enlighten  him  to  know  and  point  out  this  Way 
aright?  If  the  Lutheran  Eeformation  was  a 
work  of  God,  does  it  need  constant  improve- 
ments and  repetitions?  No!  w^e  believe  that 
God  led  Luther  aright,  that  the  Way  of  Salva- 
tion to  which  He  recalled  the  Church  through 
him  is  the  Divine  Way.  Millions  have  walked  in 
it  since  his  day,  and  found  it  a  good,  safe,  and 


264  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

happy  Way.  No  one  who  has  ever  left  it  for 
another  way  has  gained  thereby. 

To  abandon  the  Lutheran  Church  for  another 
is  to  exchange  a  system  that  is  based  on  sound 
and  well-established  principles  of  interpreta- 
tion, logical,  consistent,  thoroughly  scriptural, 
and  therefore  changeless  in  the  midst  of 
changes,  for  one  without  fixed  principles  of 
interpretation,  only  partially  loyal  to  the  in- 
spired record,  more  or  less  inconsistent,  uncer- 
tain, shifting  and  changing  with  the  whims  or 
notions  of  a  fickle  age. 

It  is  to  exchange  a  faith  that  satisfies,  brings 
peace,  and  manifests  itself  in  a  child-like,  cheer- 
ful, joyous  trust  in  an  ever-living  and  ever- 
present  Redeemer,  for  one  that  ofttimes  per- 
plexes, raises  doubts,  and  is  more  or  less  moody 
and  gloomy.  A  faith  that  is  built  either  on  un- 
certain and  ever-varying  emotion  or  on  an 
inexorable  and  loveless  decree,  cannot  be  as 
steadfast  and  joyous  as  one  that  rests  implicitly 
in  a  Redeemer,  who  tasted  death  for  every  man. 

We  conclude  with  the  eloquent  words  of  Dr. 
Seiss:  ''We  do  not  say  that  none  but  Lu- 
therans in  name  and  profession  can  be  saved. 
But  we  do  assert  that  if  salvation  cannot  be 
obtained  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  or  the  high- 
way of  eternal  life  cannot  be  found  in  her,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  salvation.  There  is  no  God 
but  the  God  she  confesses.    There  is  no  sacred 


CONCLUSION 


265 


Scripture  which  she  does  not  receive  and  teach. 
There  is  no  Christ  but  the  Christ  of  her  confes- 
sion, hope  and  trust.  There  are  no  means  of 
grace  ordained  of  God,  but  those  which  she 
uses  and  insists  on  having  used.  There  are  no 
promises  and  conditions  of  divine  acceptance, 
but  those  which  she  puts  before  men  for  their 
comfort.  And  there  is  no  other  true  ministry, 
Church,  or  Faith,  than  that  which  she  acknowl- 
edges and  holds. ' ' 


THE  REFORMATION  CHURCH 
I. 

What!  leave  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own! 
Desert,  betray  and  wound  the  breast 

On  which  our  strength  has  grown? 
No!  we  may  leave  our  land  and  tongue, 

Those  near  and  dear  we've  known. 
But  not  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own. 

II. 
What!  leave  the  Reformation  Church, 

Our  glory  and  our  pride? 
Forsake  the  faith  that  Jesus  taught— 

There  is  no  truth  beside! 
No!   on  this  Rock  'gainst  every  shock. 

Though  proselytes  assail, 
We'll  stand  secure,  with  promise  sure. 

They  never  shall  prevail. 


266  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

in. 

Our  dear  old  Reformation  Church! 

We  love  her  ancient  name; 
And  God  forbid  that  one  of  us 

Should  ever  do  her  shame. 
The  mother  of  true  Protestants, 

A  mother's  love  has  shown; 
Nor  can  we  now  deny  her  cause, 

A  stranger's  claim  to  own. 

IV. 

Our  own  dear  Reformation  Church! 

We've  heard  the  tales  of  blood, 
Of  those  who  loved  thee  to  their  death, 

The  true,  the  wise  and  good; 
The  faith  of  Augsburg  they  have  kept, 

They  burned,  and  bled,  and  died, 
And  shall  their  children's  children  now 

Be  traitors  at  her  side? 

V. 

O,  dear  old  Reformation  Church! 

The  love  can  not  grow  cold, 
That  coursed  like  streams  of  living  light. 

In  martyrs'  veins  of  old; 
That  cruel  Thirty  years  of  war, 

'Mid  persecution's  flame. 
Has  warmed  the  blood  in  every  heart, 

For  those  of  Lutheran  name. 

VI. 

We  love  our  Reformation  Church, 
For  she  reveres  her  Lord, 

She  teaches  naught,  confesses  naught, 
But  from  the  written  Word; 


CONCLUSION  267 

Her  voice  is  like  our  Saviour's  voice, 

Compassionate  and  kind, 
She  teaches  us  the  Gospel  pure — 

Thus  we  salvation  find. 

VII. 

We  love  our  Reformation  Church, 

Because  she  leads  us  on 
To  heaven  and  God — the  Church  ahove. 

Where  Christ  our  Lord  hath  gone: 
We  follow  in  the  steps  of  Him, 

The  Life,  the  Truth,  the  Way, 
The  Morning  Star  that  lights  the  path 

From  darkness  unto  day. 

VIII. 

Then  with  our  Luther,  bold  and  true, 

And  loyal  to  each  vow. 
We'll  stand  with  Christ  and  for  His  Church, 

As  God  doth  call  us  now; 
In  protest  strong,  'gainst  every  wrong, 

Proclaim  His  truth  alone — 
This  faith  shall  still  be  dear  to  us, 

Our  fathers'  and  our  own. 

J.   E.  BUSHNEIX. 

Oakland,  Cat. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS 

Numbers  refer  to  the  page.  Roman  numerals  to  the 
article  in  the  Augsburg  Confession,  except  in  Intboductoby 
where  they  refer  to  page. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

1.  What  is  the  author's  aim?     xli,  xiii,  258. 

2.  To  what  does  this  book  appeal  throughout  for  proof? 
xxi. 

3.  How  should  it  be  read?     xxi. 

ORIGINAL  SIN. 

4.  How  is  Original  Sin  regarded  in  some  quarters?  26-7. 
How  in  the  Lutheran  Church?    27-8,  II. 

THE  NEW  BIRTH. 

5.  Does  the  new  born  infant  need  salvation?    31-7,  II. 

6.  What  is  the  office  of  the  Church?  37,  42-44,  VII,  VIII. 
I  7.  At  what  age  does  the  Lutheran  Church  start  man  in 
the  way  of  salvation?    38,  43,  44.    How?    31,  46-8,  IX. 

8.  Does  God  will  men  to  be  lost?    49-51,  IV. 

9.  How  does  God  reach  men  and  give  the  Holy  Spirit? 
40-43,  V. 

10.  What  is  the  way  of  salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church? 
43-44. 

BAPTISM. 

11.  What  do  Lutherans  understand  Baptism  to  be?  46-9, 
IX. 

12.  Is  baptism  necessary?     49-51,  IX. 

269 


270  THE  WAY  OP  SALVATION 

13.  What  are  the  benefits  and  effects  of  baptism?    49,  IX. 

14.  What  authority  for  infant  baptism?    51,  52,  IX. 

15.  When  Christian  parents  have  their  children  baptized, 
have  they  fulfilled  their  whole  duty?  52.  What  more  is 
required?     52,  57. 

16.  What  ideal  should  every  Christian  parent  strive  to 
realize?    56-60. 

17.  Why  teach  the  child  concerning  its  own  baptism? 
64,  IX. 

HOME  INFLUENCE  AND  TRAINING. 

18.  Why  cannot  parents  who  are  not  Christians  properly 
present  a  child  for  baptism?     60-61. 

19.  What  is  the  Lutheran  conception  of  a  Christian  home? 
60-66. 

20.  How  should  the  Bible  be  taught  to  children?    64-5. 

21.  Should  the  parents  or  the  pastor  teach  the  chil- 
dren?    64. 

THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  BAPTIZED  CHILDREN. 

22.  Why  does  the  Lutheran  church  start  man  in  the  way 
of  salvation  in  infancy  instead  of  letting  them  grow  up 
and  then  converting  them?    67-9,  IX. 

23.  What  is  the  object  of  the  Sunday-School  with  refer- 
ence to  baptized  children  from  Christian  homes?    70-73. 

24.  Why  should  teachers  in  Lutheran  Sunday-Schools 
know  and  teach  the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  church? 
73-77. 

25.  Why  should  Lutheran  literature  be  taught  in  our 
Lutheran  Sunday-Schools?    73,  74,  76-8. 

THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  AND  THE  UNBAPTIZED. 

26.  What  is  the  object  of  the  Sunday-school  with  refer- 
ence to  the  unbaptized  and  wandering?  79,  80.  How  ac- 
complish it?    79-80. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS  271 

CATECHIZATION. 

27.  Why  have  our  Lutheran  Sunday-school  helps  had 
portions  of  the  Catechism  in  connection  with  each  Sun- 
day's lesson?    81-2. 

28.  What  is  the  Lutheran  Sunday-school  teacher's  duty 
with  reference  to  the  Catechism?    82. 

29.  What  should  be  the  pastor's  part  in  catechization?  83. 

30.  What  is  the  nature  and  object  of  Luther's  Small 
Catechism?  85-6.  What  do  you  know  of  the  contents,  ar- 
rangement and  excellence  of  it?     87-93. 

31.  How  and  why  should  the  catechism  be  taught?  94-100, 

CONFIRMATION. 

32.  What  is  Confirmation?    104-7.    Its  origin?    106. 

33.  Who  should  be  confirmed?     99-100. 

THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

34.  What  is  the  source  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  110-113. 
When  instituted?  113,  X.  The  term  used  to  designate  it? 
114.    Give  its  meaning.    114. 

35.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  Lord's  Supper?    115-120, 

36.  What  is  the  Bible  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  121- 
131,  X. 

37.  What  is  Transubstantiation?  121-2.  Consubstantia- 
tion?  122-4.  Does  the  Lutheran  Church  believe  or  teach 
either?     123. 

38.  What  is  the  current  popular  view  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per outside  the  Lutheran  Church?   124-5. 

39.  What  is  the  Lutheran  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 
126-130,  X. 

THE  PREPARATORY  SERVICE. 

40.  What  is  the  preparatory  service?  132^5.  Is  it  scrip- 
tural?    133,  XI,  XXV.     What  is  its  object?     134. 

41.  What  is  Absolution?    134-5,  XI,  XXV. 

42.  In  what  sense  can  a  minister  remit  sin?    137-9,  XXV. 


272  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

THE  WORD  OF  GOD  AS  A  MEANS  OP  GRACE. 

43.  How  does  the  Lutheran  Church  regard  the  Word  Of 
God?     142-9   (Int.  Augs.  Conf.). 

44.  What  relation  does  the  Word  sustain  to  the  Holy- 
Spirit  according  to  Lutheran  teaching?    142-8,  V. 

45.  Why  cannot  a  true  Lutheran  pulpit  be  sensational? 
149. 

46.  What  rules  does  the  Lutheran  Church  have  in  regard 
to  the  interpretation  of  Scripture?    45,  46,  116. 

CONVERSION. 

47.  What  is  Conversion?  152-4.  Its  essential  elements? 
154-5,  IV,  VI,  XII. 

48.  Who  need  conversion?    155-7,  261-2,  XII. 

49.  Who  do  not  need  conversion?  156.  Why  not?  53-9, 
156-7,  VI,  IX. 

50.  How  is  Conversion  brought  about?  158-166,  IV,  VI,  XI. 

51.  Do  all  men  have  the  same  experience  in  conversion? 
159,  164. 

52.  Can  every  one  tell  the  exact  time  and  place  where 
he  was  converted?     165.     Is  it  necessary?  165. 

53.  Can  you  tell  whether  you  are  now  in  a  converted 
state?  165-6,  VI. 

54.  Can  man  do  anything  to  bring  about  his  conversion? 
167-175.    When?    171-2,  XVIII. 

55.  Does  the  Lutheran  Church  teach  that  in  conversion 
the  new  life  is  complete?  or  only  begun?  What  further  is 
necessary?    187. 

56.  Does  the  sinner  first  come  to  God  or  God  to  the  sin- 
ner and  how?    169-71.  V. 

57.  Does  staying  away  from  church  free  you  from  re- 
sponsibility?   173. 

58.  If  you  are  lost  whC  will  be  responsible?    174. 


GUIDE  QUESTIONS  273 

JUSTIFICATION. 

59.  What  is  the  most  prominent  doctrine  of  Lutheran- 
ism?    176. 

60.  What  is  justification?    177-8,  IV. 

61.  On  what  ground  are  we  justified?    179-182,  IV. 

62.  How  does  this  justification  become  personal  posses- 
sion?    182-3,  IV,  VI. 

63.  Is  there  any  merit  in  faith?    183,  IV. 

64.  Why  is  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  so  highly 
prized?  184-6. 

SANCTIFICATION. 

65.  What  is  sanctification?    189-191,  VI. 

66.  What  is  the  difference  between  justification  and  sanc- 
tification?    187-9. 

67.  Are  the  saints  on  earth  sinless?     189-192. 

68.  Is  sanctification  instantaneous  and  entire,  or  gradual 
and  progressive?    192-3,  V. 

69.  How  is  sanctification  brought  about?    193-6. 

REVIVALS. 

70.  What  is  a  revival  and  in  what  sense  is  the  word 
properly  used?    198-200. 

71.  Why  cannot  the  work  of  the  apostles  in  the  New 
Testament  be  regarded  as  revival  work?    199-200, 

72.  What  should  be  the  aim  and  policy  of  the  church 
toward  revivals  so  called?    200. 

73.  Is  there  any  necessity  of  church  members  growing 
cold  and  needing  periodic  reviving?     200-202. 

74.  How  can  we  do  without  revivals?  202-4.  Why  are 
they  sometimes  necessary?     205-9. 

75.  What  ten  reasons  does  the  author  give  as  to  why 
true  Lutherans  cannot  adopt  nor  endorse  all  methods  of 
the  modern  revival  system?    209-224, 

76.  What  is  the  testimony  of  others  as  to  the  revival 
system?    226-236. 


274  THE  WAY  OF  SALVATION 

77.  From     wHence     did     Lutheran    Churches     get     the 
"mourners'  bench"?  229-231. 

78.  "Who   were   great   leaders   in   the   revivals   discussed 
thus  far?    237. 

79.  Who  is  the  great  modern  leader?    237. 

80.  How  does  his  type  differ  from  the  former?     237-8. 

81.  What  good  can  we  find  in  Billy  Sunday?    238-9. 

82.  What  glaring  evils?     239-241. 

83.  What  should  be  the  constant  aim  of  the  church?    242. 

84.  When  a  revival  is  needed  what  should  be  its  char- 
acter and  where  should  it  begin?     242-245. 

85.  How  can  communion  seasons  aid  in  revival?    245. 

86.  Does  the  author  believe  in  "still  more  marked  and 
general  awakenings"?     247-9. 

87.  What   should   be    the   nature   of   revival   preaching? 
248-9. 

88.  Give  some  good  Lutheran  revival  experiences.     249. 

89.  Their  effect  on  the  congregation?     249-250. 

90.  How  have  times  changed?     251-2. 

91.  What  do  Lutherans  need?    252-4. 

92.  What  should  they  do  to  revive  their  own  churches? 
252-6. 

93.  What  evangelistic  agencies  should  they  use?    254-6. 

94.  Give  a  brief  and  systematic  statement  of  the  way  of 
salvation  in  the  Lutheran  Church.     257-265. 


INDEX 


Absolution,  134,  135,  139, 

140 
Abuse  of  Catechism,  95 
Abuse  of  confirmation,  107 
Accounts  of  Lord's  Supper, 

116  ff. 
Adult  Bible  Class,  255 
Ambassador,   137 
American  S.  S.  Union,  68  fE. 
American     Tract     Society, 

68 
Ancient  rite,  109 
Anxious  bench,  215 
Application  of  atonement. 

39 
Application     of     justifica- 
tion, 182 
Appropriation,   183 
Apostle's  Creed,  28,  88 
Apostles  Mission,  43 
Arendt,  John,  89 
Arrangement     of     C  a  t  e  - 

chism,  90,  91  ff. 
Arminanism,  174,  227,  228 
Atonement,  33,  39,  180 
Augsburg    Confession,    27, 

35,  42,  49,  128,  140,  144 
Augustine,  50 


Authority  for  infant  bap- 
tism, 51 

Baptism,  43,  44,  45  ff.,  54 

ff.,  169 
Baptismal  covenant,  53  ff., 

60  ff. 
Baptismal  font,  101 
Baptismal  grace,  43,  48,  99, 

169 
Baptized  child,  59,  70,  156 
Baxter,  Richard,  204 
Bible  manual,  94 
Bible  pictures,  63 
Billy  Sunday,  237  ff. 
Birth  of  Spirit,  35 
Book  of  Concord,  44 
Born  in  sin,  34 
Burnt  districts,  224 

Calvinism,  174 
Calvinistic  Baptists,  36 
Catechism,   49,   64,   82,   85, 

86  ff.,  90  ff.,  94,  97 
Catechization,  81  ff.,  84,  94, 

98 
Catechetical   class,   64,   73, 

82,  90,  101 


275 


276 


INDEX 


Catechumen,   99,  100,  103, 

104,  106 
Central  doctrine,  176 
Characteristics  of  child,  32 
Child  conversion,  58 
Child  prayer,  62 
Child  redemption,  40,  56 
Child  salvation,  33,  39 
Child  trust,  59 
Children  as  sinners,  27 
Children  not  baptized,  49 
Christian  parent,  55 
Church  Book,  64 
Church  catechism,  85 
Church  nursery,  101 
Church  papers,  69 
Church  year,  245,  246,  247 
Comfort  of  baptism,  56 
Comforter,  The,  210,  211 
Commandments,  88 
Communicant,  132 
Communion  seasons,  245 
Confession  of  sin,  134 
Confessional    service,    132 

ff.,  140 
Confirmation,  99,  100,  104, 

105 
Confirmation        certificate, 

107 
Conversion,  25,  151  ff.,  155, 

158 
Conversion  of  children,  68 
Consciousness  of  sin,  33 
Consecration,  121 
Consubstantiation,  123 
Contempt  of  baptism,  50 


Contents  of  catechism,   87 

ff. 
Co-operative  grace,  173 
Covenant   relation,   55,   56, 

57 
Crook,  Dr.  Robt.,  235 
Cuyler,  Dr.,  66 

Dead  formalism,  95 
Declaration  of  forgiveness, 

135,  137,  138 
Definition      of     sanctifica- 

tion,  189 
Denominations,  26 
Depravity,  27,  168 
Dispensations     of     means, 

38,  41 
Divine  call,  145 
Divine  life,  54 
Divinity  of  Christ,  177 
Doctrine,  63 
Doctrine  denounced,  26 
Doctrine  of  Lord's  Supper, 

121 
Dwight,  Dr.  S.  E.,  227 

Edwards,  Jonathan,  227 
Effects  of  baptism,  44,  54 
Effects  of  Word,  144,  145, 

159 
Enlightening,  146 
Equipment  for  S.  S.,  76,  77 
Evangelistic  work,  80 
Evidences    of    conversion, 

165 


INDEX 


277 


Examination    of    catechu- 
mens, 104 
Experience,  160,  185 
Experience  meetings,  223 
Explanation  of  catechism, 
89,  90,  91,  92 

Faith,  183 

Forgiveness,  33 
Formula  of   Concord,   169, 
198 


Gebm  of  faith,  59 
Grace,  30,  32,  35 
Great  awakening,  226 
Greek  Church,  36 
Greenwald,  Dr.,  204 
Growth  of  church,  70 
Guilt  of  sin,  34 

Hand  of  fellowship  109 
Hardening  heart,  172 
Harms,  Ludwig,  204 
Harvard  University,  228 
Helps  for  S.  S.,  74 
Hereditary  sin,  28 
Hippodrome  revival,  235 
Historic  faith,  183 
Hollazius,  54 

Home  influence.  60,  61,  206 
Home   instruction,   63,   64, 

73,  81,  82,  95 
Human  will,  167,  170 
Hunnius,  55 


iNDiYiDUAL     revival,     242, 

243 
Infant  baptism,  50,  56 
Infant  regeneration,  36 
Infant  salvation,  36 
Infant  sinlessness,  29 
Influence  of  parents,  61 
Innocent  childhood,  27,  31 
Instruction,  25,  61,  62,  81, 

82 
Institution  of  Lord's  Sup- 
per, 110,  113 
Intellectual  belief,  183 
Interpretation  of  Bible,  45, 

114 
Irresistable  grace,  167 

Jacobs,  H.  E„  208,  232 
Jonas,  Dr.,  94 
Justification,  176  ff.,  188 

Knowledge  of  baptism,  65 
Knowledge    of    catechism, 

97 
Knowledge  of  sin,  159 
Krauth,  Dr.,   90,   139,   225, 

233 

Limitations  of  grace,  39 
Loehe,  Dr.,  94 
Lord's  Prayer,  104,  109  ff. 
Lord's  Supper,  104,  109  ff. 
Luther,  Martin,  44,  54,  88 
Lutheran  conception  of 
Word,  143,  148 


278 


INDEX 


Lutheran  Doctrine  of  bap- 
tism, 48 
Lutheran   Doctrine   of   de- 
pravity,  27 
Lutheran  Evangelism,  79 
Lutheran  pulpit,  149 
Luther's  Small  Catechism, 
44,  64,  85,  87  ff.,  129,  144 
Luthardt,  56,  60,  62 

Man-made  catechism,  84 
Meaning     of    justification, 

177 
Means    of    Grace,    37,    42, 

109,  142,  203,  212 
Means  of  redemption,  40 
Memorizing   catechism,   97 
Method  of  grace,  26,  101 
Ministerial  power,  137 
Miracles,  41,  42 
Mission  of  Apostles,  43 
Missionary  activities,  78 
Mistakes  of  ministers,  98 
Modern   Revivals,    84,    198 

ff.,  205  fE. 
Moody  revivals,  234 
Morris,  Dr.,  231 
Mourners'  bench,  229,  230 

ff. 
Moving  pictures,  207 

Native  depravity,  26,  27 
Natural  birth,  31,  35 
Nature   of   catechism,    85, 

95 
Nature  of  child,  34 


Necessity   of   baptism,    49, 

50,  53 
Neglect  of  parents,  65 
New  birth,  35,  38,  50 
New-born  infant,  31,  34 
New  life,  38,  53 
New  measures,  84,  95 
New    Testament    revivals, 

199 

Oberlin,  204 

Objections  to  revivals,  209 

ff. 
Office  of  Keys,  136 
Old     Testament     revivals, 

199 
Operating  grace,  172 
Operations  of  Spirit,  212 
Origin  of  justification,  178 
Origin    of    Lord's    Supper, 

111,  113,  114 
Orginal  sin,  26,  28,  32,  35 

Pakents'  duty,  55 
Parental   catechization,   83 
Parental  influence,  61 
Parental  neglect,  65 
Passages  on  Baptism,  46 
Paul,  118 

Penitence,  99,  154,  162 
Penitential  Psalms,  154 
Phenomena  of  conversion, 

159 
Phlegmatic     temperament, 

160 
Pontoppidan,  Dr.,  56 


INDEX 


279 


Positive  righteousness,  181 
Power  of  Word,  147,  159 
Prayer,  62 

Prayer  of  children,  62 
Preparatory  service,  132  If. 
Prevenient  grace,  171 
Principles     of     interpreta- 
tion, 45  ff. 
Private     confession,     103, 

139 
Process  of  conversion,  154, 

162 
Proof  of  depravity,  27 
Proselyting  spirit,  224 
Protestant  confessions,   26 
Protracted  meetings,  229 
Public  confession,  134 
Public  profession,  103 
Punishment  of  God,  38 

Rationalistic  liberals,  130 
Reason  on  depravity,  28 
Reason  on  Lord's  Supper, 

112 
Receptivity  of  grace,  170 
Redemption,  26 
Redemption  of  child,  40 
Reformation,  176 
Regeneration,  146 
Relative  innocence,  31,  32 
Religious    instruction,    62, 

84 
Religious  training,  61 
Remitting  sin,  137 
Renewing  grace,  35 


Responsibility   of  parents, 

55 
Resisting  grace,  102,  172 
Revivals,  84.  198  ff.,  205  ff. 
Rite    of    confirmation,    99, 

100,  101,  105 
Roman  Church,  36 
Romish  confession,  36 
Roots  of  sin.  32 

Saceaments,  88 
Saints,  189,  192 
Salvation,  33 
Sanctification,  146,  187  ff., 

192 
Sanguine         temperament, 

161,  163 
Schmidt,  Dr.,  56 
Seasons     of     preparation, 

133 
Selleck,  Dr.  J.,  235 
Sin,  28 

Sinless  perfection,  191 
Sinners  saved,  25 
Sinful  nature,  28,  39 
Smalcald  Articles,  28 
Source  of  justification,  178 
Sovereign  Grace,  174 
Sponsors,  55,  105  ff. 
Subjects  of  salvation,  26 
Sudden  conversion,  163 
Sunday    School,   67,   75  ff., 

98 
Symptoms  of  sin,  28 
Systems  of  doctrine,  36 
Systems  of  revivals,  198  ft. 


280 


INDEX 


Teacher,  73 
Teachers'  helps,  76,  77 
Teachers'  Training,  77 
Teaching  of  catechism,  91, 

92,  93 
Temperament,  160 
Ten  commandments,  88 
Testimony  meetings,  223 
Time  of  conversion,  164 
Total  depravity,  168 
Trabert,  Dr.  G.  H.,  232 
Translation  of  Catechism, 

94 
Transubstantiation,       121, 

122,  123 
Treatment  of  children,  60 
True  revivals,  242 


Unbaptized    children,    49, 

70,  78 
Unchristian  children,  78 
Unconverted  child,  80 
Unfavorable  home,  205,  206 
Ungathered  Lutherans,  253 
Unregenerated  infant,  36 
Use  of  catechism,  91 

Van  Rensselaer,  Dr.,  228 
IView  of  Lord's  Supper,  124 
Vows,  105 

Walther,  Dr.,  139 
"Weiser,  Rev.  R.,  230 
Will,  The,  167,  170,  173 
Word  of  God,  142  ff.,  159 


Date  Due 

1 

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